The time couldn’t be riper to start a farm or ranch — the agriculture industry faces a massive shortage of farmers and ranchers who are more critical than ever to maintaining our food supply.

But where do you have the highest chance of successfully starting a Green Acres life?

Ahead of Farmer’s Day, Oct. 12, LawnStarter compared the 50 states across 42 key metrics to rank 2021’s Best States to Start a Farm or Ranch.

We looked for states with existing farm communities to indicate viability, good infrastructure, and a suitable climate. We also compared the states based on overhead and ROI potential.

How did Kentucky fare?

Kentucky’s Rank for Some Key Metrics (1 = Best)

  • Increase in Farmland Area Over Past Year – 1st
  • Water Quality (Total Number of Violations in Past Year) – 4th
  • Rural Health Clinics per 1,000 Square Miles – 1st
  • Average Monthly Precipitation (in Inches) – 15th
  • Natural Hazards Index – 21st
  • Farm Workers per 100,000 Residents – 18th
  • Average Per-Farm Production Expenses – 25th
  • Farmland Returns – 8th

Lawnstarter‘s full ranking and analysis can be found here.

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