Top Crops Grown In Ohio By Value

Ohio is home to many top-producing farms and is one of the highest-performing states in the agriculture industry. The United States Agriculture Department (USDA) forecasted the state to produce 625 million bushels of food in 2023, a 5% increase from 2022. 2023 saw over 75,000 farms operating in the United States, 90% of which were owned by individual farmers and families. 

Overall, the agriculture industry contributes $124 billion to Ohio’s economy annually. But you may be wondering, statistically, which crops are grown the most? Let’s dive into this information. 

About Ohio’s agricultural industry

Even before Ohio had its name, the state was known for its thriving agriculture. Indigenous peoples were growing corn, squash, pumpkin, and beans before the arrival of European settlers.

Around the 19th century, Ohio became known as one of the largest crop producers in the nation, raising livestock for food and textile use. The industrial boom in the 20th century drove competition, helping the state maintain its status as one of the nation’s biggest agricultural leaders. 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the state farms a variety of livestock, fruits, and vegetables, including (but not limited to):

• Cattle

• Poultry

• Pork

• Dairy

• Tomatoes

• Fruit like strawberries and blueberries

• Chestnuts

• Common sunflowers

It also ranks nationally for swiss cheese and egg production. 

Since farming is a large part of Ohio’s economy, the USDA Rural Development gives back to the state by investing in modern infrastructure, including waste treatment systems and high-speed internet. To attract residents, the USDA prioritizes above-market value pay for manual labor jobs and supports benefits for the farming workforce. 

It also prioritizes education and affordable housing. The USDA instituted several programs, including: 

• Business & Industry Loans Guarantees

• Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program

• Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program

• Rural Energy for America Program

• Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans

• Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants

Top Ohio crops, organized by value

Several crops stand out as particularly valuable to the state. Let’s look at these crops and their production value in 2022, as determined by the USDA.

Let’s go over each commodity a little more in-depth.

Soybean

Soybeans are Ohio’s top-produced crop and play a huge part in the economy's health. Growers plant 5.1 million acres and harvest 5.08 million acres, yielding 55.5 bushels an acre. This resulted in a total production of over 281 million bushels of soybeans. At $14.40 a bushel, the total product value was over $4 billion.

According to the USDA Coexistence Factsheet, soybeans are favored as staples for tofu, soymilk, edamame, soy nuts, sprouts, miso, and soy sauce. Organic feed-grade soybeans are also used for livestock feed to produce certified organic meat. 

Maize

Maize sales include grain corn and silage corn, with grain corn having a production value worth over $3.8 billion. In 2022, growers used 3.1 million acres of field and produced over 594 million bushels, with an average yield of 187 bushels per acre. The cost per bushel was $6.28.

Growers use corn for livestock and poultry feed, and corn supports the manufacturing industry to make clean-burning, high-octane ethanol. 

Hay & haylage

Ohio produces three common varieties of hay: alfalfa, clovers, and birdsfoot trefoil. The most significant grasses are fescue, timothy, ryegrass, and orchardgrass. 

Hayale is a type of grass cut earlier than hay and typically contains more fiber. In terms of production, it used 880,000 acres of land in 2022, which led to a total output of over 2.5 million tonnes. This resulted in over $418 million in production value.

Hay, without haylage, had a slightly smaller harvest amount of 830 hundred thousand acres, which resulted in a smaller production of 2.2 million tons and a total production value of $360 million.

Growers dry and cut hay and haylage to feed livestock. Haylage is more nutritious and has more fiber, so it’s often fed to horses on a farm.

Wheat

While Ohio does grow spring wheat, other states are better known for producing this crop. Winter wheat is the most common type of wheat grown in Ohio. For winter wheat varieties, farming is often done in the northwestern area of the state.

Farmers plant over 500,000 acres, harvesting over 465,000 bushels. In 2022, the yield was 79 bushels per acre, with a total production of over 36 million bushels at $7.85 a bushel. The entire production value was over $292 million.

Top-quality Ohio soft red winter wheat is favored for its use in flour production, which consumers use to make cakes, cookies, crackers, and pastries.

Pumpkin

Ohio is a high pumpkin-producing state, using 4,000 acres of land and harvesting 3,800 of those acres. The total yield is 175 central weight (CWT) an acre and 665,000 CWT. This equates to $22.4 per CWT, a total production value of over $14 million for Ohio’s economy. 

Pumpkin production provides retail stores and the market with supply, and seasonal spikes in demand and sales occur especially during the autumn.

Oats

Oats use 50,000 acres of planted space in Ohio, producing 15,000 acres of harvest. The total yield is 80 bushels per acre, which means a total production of over 1 million bushels. At $5.40 a bushel, there’s a total production value of over $5.6 million. This price decreased by 7% in 2023 from 2022. 

Oat is usually harvested in April and is a versatile crop used for food and livestock feed. 

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