{"id":26637,"date":"2021-10-01T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=26637"},"modified":"2021-10-03T13:48:58","modified_gmt":"2021-10-03T16:48:58","slug":"best-states-to-start-a-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/studies\/best-states-to-start-a-farm\/","title":{"rendered":"2021\u2019s Best States to Start a Farm or Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Farming and ranching aren\u2019t the most glamorous jobs \u2014 you\u2019re up before sunrise tilling the soil and milking the cows, and you work 365 days a year. Despite the rigorous work schedule, agriculture is among the most rewarding and essential professions.<\/p>

But where do you have the highest chance of successfully starting a Green Acres<\/em> life? <\/p>

Ahead of Farmers Day, Oct. 12, LawnStarter<\/a> compared the 50 states across 42 key metrics to rank 2021\u2019s Best States to Start a Farm or Ranch. <\/p>

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.<\/p>

See which states are best for getting your hands dirty below, followed by some highlights and lowlights. <\/p>

Table of Contents<\/h3>
  1. State Rankings<\/a><\/li>
  2. Highlights and Lowlights<\/a><\/li>
  3. Ask the Experts<\/a><\/li>
  4. Methodology<\/a><\/li>
  5. Why This Study Matters<\/a><\/li><\/ol>

    <\/a><\/p>

    State Rankings <\/h2>

    See how each state fared in our ranking:<\/p> \n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
    OVERALL RANK<\/th>State<\/th>Overall Score<\/th>Viability Rank<\/th>Infrastructure Rank<\/th>Climate Rank<\/th>Environmental Hazards Rank<\/th>Personnel Rank<\/th>Costs Rank<\/th>ROI Potential Rank<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    1<\/td>Montana<\/td>59.72<\/td>9<\/td>7<\/td>42<\/td>6<\/td>9<\/td>4<\/td>15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    2<\/td>Kansas<\/td>58.78<\/td>5<\/td>1<\/td>40<\/td>9<\/td>12<\/td>22<\/td>32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3<\/td>North Dakota<\/td>57.35<\/td>2<\/td>23<\/td>46<\/td>2<\/td>10<\/td>15<\/td>13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    4<\/td>Texas<\/td>57.32<\/td>1<\/td>6<\/td>48<\/td>48<\/td>24<\/td>20<\/td>12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    5<\/td>Oklahoma<\/td>57.04<\/td>7<\/td>9<\/td>41<\/td>20<\/td>19<\/td>6<\/td>33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    6<\/td>South Dakota<\/td>56.36<\/td>6<\/td>5<\/td>47<\/td>5<\/td>7<\/td>26<\/td>24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    7<\/td>Iowa<\/td>56.06<\/td>3<\/td>2<\/td>28<\/td>17<\/td>5<\/td>45<\/td>20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    8<\/td>Kentucky<\/td>55.07<\/td>10<\/td>8<\/td>8<\/td>28<\/td>18<\/td>17<\/td>18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    9<\/td>Colorado<\/td>54.48<\/td>16<\/td>25<\/td>20<\/td>21<\/td>25<\/td>9<\/td>10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    10<\/td>Wyoming<\/td>54.41<\/td>18<\/td>16<\/td>38<\/td>7<\/td>27<\/td>2<\/td>17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    11<\/td>Nebraska<\/td>54.34<\/td>8<\/td>4<\/td>45<\/td>4<\/td>6<\/td>46<\/td>16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    12<\/td>Arkansas<\/td>54.26<\/td>20<\/td>27<\/td>23<\/td>30<\/td>8<\/td>10<\/td>4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    13<\/td>New Mexico<\/td>53.17<\/td>17<\/td>47<\/td>30<\/td>10<\/td>13<\/td>3<\/td>11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    14<\/td>Oregon<\/td>53.08<\/td>23<\/td>21<\/td>19<\/td>29<\/td>4<\/td>27<\/td>5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    15<\/td>Tennessee<\/td>52.88<\/td>11<\/td>12<\/td>13<\/td>44<\/td>43<\/td>13<\/td>34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    16<\/td>Idaho<\/td>52.81<\/td>28<\/td>22<\/td>31<\/td>15<\/td>2<\/td>32<\/td>3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    17<\/td>Alabama<\/td>52.37<\/td>22<\/td>13<\/td>26<\/td>39<\/td>17<\/td>7<\/td>22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    18<\/td>Missouri<\/td>52.34<\/td>13<\/td>15<\/td>29<\/td>19<\/td>16<\/td>18<\/td>37<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    19<\/td>Georgia<\/td>52.12<\/td>29<\/td>11<\/td>17<\/td>33<\/td>15<\/td>16<\/td>14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    20<\/td>Minnesota<\/td>51.93<\/td>21<\/td>3<\/td>43<\/td>3<\/td>22<\/td>33<\/td>21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    21<\/td>Washington<\/td>51.89<\/td>37<\/td>30<\/td>44<\/td>13<\/td>3<\/td>24<\/td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    22<\/td>Louisiana<\/td>50.84<\/td>41<\/td>18<\/td>21<\/td>50<\/td>28<\/td>8<\/td>7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    23<\/td>Mississippi<\/td>50.39<\/td>40<\/td>20<\/td>39<\/td>36<\/td>14<\/td>12<\/td>9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    24<\/td>Wisconsin<\/td>49.3<\/td>15<\/td>17<\/td>34<\/td>12<\/td>21<\/td>36<\/td>38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    25<\/td>Delaware<\/td>49.01<\/td>32<\/td>10<\/td>2<\/td>46<\/td>32<\/td>35<\/td>6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    26<\/td>South Carolina<\/td>48.89<\/td>35<\/td>33<\/td>9<\/td>43<\/td>37<\/td>5<\/td>30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27<\/td>Virginia<\/td>47.86<\/td>25<\/td>37<\/td>6<\/td>32<\/td>39<\/td>11<\/td>43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    28<\/td>Arizona<\/td>47.83<\/td>24<\/td>39<\/td>16<\/td>25<\/td>11<\/td>39<\/td>8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    29<\/td>Ohio<\/td>47.69<\/td>4<\/td>49<\/td>18<\/td>40<\/td>35<\/td>40<\/td>28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    30<\/td>West Virginia<\/td>47.33<\/td>26<\/td>42<\/td>32<\/td>31<\/td>41<\/td>1<\/td>50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    31<\/td>Utah<\/td>47<\/td>39<\/td>28<\/td>33<\/td>47<\/td>45<\/td>14<\/td>23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    32<\/td>North Carolina<\/td>46.98<\/td>38<\/td>34<\/td>5<\/td>35<\/td>29<\/td>19<\/td>27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    33<\/td>Illinois<\/td>46.97<\/td>14<\/td>14<\/td>35<\/td>34<\/td>30<\/td>48<\/td>26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    34<\/td>Florida<\/td>46.56<\/td>34<\/td>36<\/td>3<\/td>42<\/td>26<\/td>28<\/td>19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    35<\/td>California<\/td>45.83<\/td>48<\/td>19<\/td>4<\/td>37<\/td>1<\/td>50<\/td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    36<\/td>New York<\/td>45.7<\/td>33<\/td>46<\/td>22<\/td>14<\/td>49<\/td>21<\/td>31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    37<\/td>Maryland<\/td>45.66<\/td>29<\/td>32<\/td>25<\/td>23<\/td>34<\/td>37<\/td>25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    38<\/td>Indiana<\/td>45.13<\/td>19<\/td>44<\/td>15<\/td>45<\/td>31<\/td>31<\/td>36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    39<\/td>Vermont<\/td>44.8<\/td>27<\/td>29<\/td>27<\/td>8<\/td>23<\/td>41<\/td>49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    40<\/td>Hawaii<\/td>44.38<\/td>43<\/td>45<\/td>1<\/td>1<\/td>20<\/td>29<\/td>41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    41<\/td>Michigan<\/td>43.68<\/td>44<\/td>35<\/td>36<\/td>16<\/td>40<\/td>30<\/td>40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    42<\/td>Nevada<\/td>42.43<\/td>36<\/td>31<\/td>37<\/td>49<\/td>42<\/td>44<\/td>35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    43<\/td>New Hampshire<\/td>42.11<\/td>42<\/td>26<\/td>49<\/td>24<\/td>44<\/td>38<\/td>44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    44<\/td>Pennsylvania<\/td>41.88<\/td>12<\/td>50<\/td>12<\/td>41<\/td>33<\/td>42<\/td>29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    45<\/td>Massachusetts<\/td>39.94<\/td>47<\/td>48<\/td>7<\/td>27<\/td>47<\/td>25<\/td>45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    46<\/td>Maine<\/td>39.59<\/td>45<\/td>43<\/td>14<\/td>11<\/td>38<\/td>34<\/td>47<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    47<\/td>New Jersey<\/td>39.25<\/td>31<\/td>24<\/td>24<\/td>38<\/td>35<\/td>49<\/td>48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    48<\/td>Connecticut<\/td>38.08<\/td>46<\/td>40<\/td>10<\/td>26<\/td>46<\/td>47<\/td>39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    49<\/td>Rhode Island<\/td>37.57<\/td>49<\/td>38<\/td>11<\/td>22<\/td>50<\/td>43<\/td>46<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    50<\/td>Alaska<\/td>36.13<\/td>50<\/td>41<\/td>50<\/td>18<\/td>48<\/td>23<\/td>42<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
    \"Infographic<\/figure>
    <\/div>