In recent years in has been estimated that the United States has just over 1.9 million farms, covering roughly 880.1 million acres of farmland, or 39% of all U.S. land. Farmland ownership in the U.S. is a great asset and we have compiled a list of the largest farmland owners in the nation.
7. Simplot Family
The Simplot family owns 443,000 acres of land in the United States with 82,500 of those acres dedicated to farmland. Young J.R. Simplot entered the agricultural sector when he was only 14 years old and has since turned his dream into an agribusiness empire. The Simplot family’s agricultural endeavors consist mostly of growing potatoes, hay, wheat, corn, sweet corn, and barley.
6. Boswell Family
James Boswell II, also known as the “King of California” falls into the spot #6 on our list. Starting with a 50,000-acre gift from his uncle, he has been able to triple his family’s holdings and create a cotton empire. The Boswell family became the top producers of extra-long staple pima cotton and remain at the top today. They also remain a large producer of tomatoes, almonds and pistachios. To this day, the Boswell family owns around 150,000 acres of land.
5. Gaylon Lawrence JR
Gaylon Lawrence JR has had roots in the business world ever since he was young. He has been a pioneer in implementing innovative agricultural practices that have transformed the industry. These practices all have a focus on sustainability and efficiency to limit the environmental impact that farming has on our planet. Some of the most well-known innovations are precision farming techniques, the use of drones for crop monitoring, and the implementation of sustainable irrigation systems. Today, he owns more than 165,000 acres of farmland across Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi.
4. Offutt Family
The Offutt family mainly focuses on potato farming and are currently headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The initial idea for the Offutt family farms stemmed from Ron Offutt, who is currently serving as Chairman Emeritus for the R.D. Offutt Company, when he saw an opportunity to produce more uniform potatoes by developing irrigation and growing in Minnesota’s sandier soils. After seeing such high demand for his potatoes, he decided to indulge in the processing side of the agricultural business and purchased a french fry factory. The Offutt family owns about 190,000 acres of farmland.
3. Fanjul Family
The Fanjul family specializes in sugarcane farming and currently owns the company Florida Crystals which focuses on the production and selling of sugar. They own the largest Regenerative Organic Certified farm in the U.S with a mission to create a greener, more sustainable future. Currently, the Fanjul Family owns 194,500 acres of farmland.
2. Stewart Resnick
Stewart Resnick is the Chairperson of The Wonderful Company, which he founded with his wife Lynda Resnick. The wonderful company is currently the world’s leading grower of tree nuts and America’s largest citrus grower. In 2018, he was the largest farm owner in the U.S. His farms are primarily located in California which has plentiful sunshine but scarce water supply. Yet, Resnick was able to combat this problem and create an agricultural empire. Stewart Resnick is also a philanthropist and has invested more than $2.6 billion in education, health and wellness, community development, and sustainability initiatives, focused on the communities where his employees live and work. He currently owns 196,775 acres of farmland.
1. Bill Gates
Bill Gates is best known as the founder of Microsoft but he is also currently the nation’s largest private farmland owner. Gates explains why he owns so much of the nation’s farmland in a “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit. He states that there’s no grand scheme behind his purchases, he invested in these farms to make them more productive and create more jobs. He owns farmland in multiples states which include, Illinois, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, and a few other states. Overall, Gates owns 275,000 acres of farmland in the U.S.
