Hay Farming
Description
Operations within this sector focus on cultivating and harvesting forage crops specifically intended for animal feed rather than human consumption. The primary businesses engage in planting, managing, and harvesting large volumes of grasses, legumes such as alfalfa and clover, or mixed species during favorable growing seasons. These enterprises require significant land ownership or long-term leases, sophisticated irrigation systems, and precision machinery like mowers and balers to process the crops into bales or chaff. While some activities are small family farms relying on manual labor, many are managed by large agribusinesses utilizing automated equipment to meet high production demands. The scale of these operations varies widely, ranging from localized community gardens supplying neighboring livestock producers to expansive commercial plantations feeding regional meatpacking plants or dairy cooperatives. Seasonal timing is critical, as weather conditions heavily influence yield and quality, making insurance and weather management essential business activities. Financial health often depends on favorable crop prices and the ability to store harvests for later sale. This sector remains a cornerstone of the agricultural economy, providing a continuous food supply for grazing cattle, horses, and poultry while supporting rural employment and sustaining farm-based livelihoods across diverse geographic regions.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in growing crops, raising animals, harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals from a farm, ranch, or their natural habitats. The establishments in this sector are often described as farms, ranches, dairies, greenhouses, nurseries, orchards, or hatcheries. A farm may consist of a single tract of land or a number of separate tracts which may be held under different tenures. For example, one tract may be owned by the farm operator and another rented. It may be operated by the operator alone or with the assistance of members of the household or hired employees, or it may be operated by a partnership, corporation, or other type of organization. When a landowner has one or more tenants, renters, croppers, or managers, the land operated by each is considered a farm. The sector distinguishes two basic activities: agricultural production and agricultural support activities. Agricultural production includes establishments performing the complete farm or ranch operation, such as farm owner-operators and tenant farm operators. Agricultural support activities include establishments that perform one or more activities associated with farm operation, such as soil preparation, planting, harvesting, and management, on a contract or fee basis. Excluded from the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting sector are establishments primarily engaged in agricultural research (e.g., experimental farms) and government establishments primarily engaged in administering programs for regulating and conserving land, mineral, wildlife, and forest use. These establishments are classified in Industry 54171, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences; and Industry 92412, Administration of Conservation Programs, respectively. |
| 111 | Crop Production 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Crop Production subsector grow crops mainly for food and fiber. The subsector comprises establishments, such as farms, orchards, groves, greenhouses, and nurseries, primarily engaged in growing crops, plants, vines, or trees and their seeds. The industries in this subsector are grouped by similarity of production activity, including biological and physiological characteristics and economic requirements, the length of growing season, degree of crop rotation, extent of input specialization, labor requirements, and capital demands. The production process is typically completed when the raw product or commodity grown reaches the "farm gate" for market, that is, at the point of first sale or price determination. Establishments are classified in the Crop Production subsector when crop production (i.e., value of crops for market) accounts for one-half or more of the establishment's total agricultural production. Within the subsector, establishments are classified in a specific industry when a product or industry family of products (i.e., oilseed and grain farming, vegetable and melon farming, fruit and tree nut farming) account for one-half or more of the establishment's agricultural production. Establishments with one-half or more crop production with no one product or family of products of an industry accounting for one-half of the establishment's agricultural production are treated as general combination crop farming and are classified in Industry 11199, All Other Crop Farming. Industries in the Crop Production subsector include establishments that own, operate, and manage and those that operate and manage. Those that manage only are classified in Subsector 115, Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry. Establishments that raise aquatic plants in controlled or selected aquatic environments are classified in Subsector 112, Animal Production and Aquaculture. |
| 1119 | Other Crop Farming 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) growing crops (except oilseed and/or grain; vegetable and/or melon; fruit and tree nut; and greenhouse, nursery, and/or floriculture products), such as tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, hay, sugar beets, peanuts, agave, herbs and spices, and hay and grass seeds, or (2) growing a combination of crops (except a combination of oilseed(s) and grain(s) and a combination of fruit(s) and tree nut(s)). |
| 11194 | Hay Farming 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 111940. |
| 111940 | Hay Farming 6-digit U.S. detail | Operations within this sector focus on cultivating and harvesting forage crops specifically intended for animal feed rather than human consumption. The primary businesses engage in planting, managing, and harvesting large volumes of grasses, legumes such as alfalfa and clover, or mixed species during favorable growing seasons. These enterprises require significant land ownership or long-term leases, sophisticated irrigation systems, and precision machinery like mowers and balers to process the crops into bales or chaff. While some activities are small family farms relying on manual labor, many are managed by large agribusinesses utilizing automated equipment to meet high production demands. The scale of these operations varies widely, ranging from localized community gardens supplying neighboring livestock producers to expansive commercial plantations feeding regional meatpacking plants or dairy cooperatives. Seasonal timing is critical, as weather conditions heavily influence yield and quality, making insurance and weather management essential business activities. Financial health often depends on favorable crop prices and the ability to store harvests for later sale. This sector remains a cornerstone of the agricultural economy, providing a continuous food supply for grazing cattle, horses, and poultry while supporting rural employment and sustaining farm-based livelihoods across diverse geographic regions. |
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Classification References
- 01Growing grain hay--are classified in Industry Group 1111, Oilseed and Grain Farming; and
- 02Growing grass and hay seeds--are classified in U.S. Industry 111998, All Other Miscellaneous Crop Farming.
Index Items
Alfalfa hay farming
Clover hay farming
Grass hay farming
Hay farming (e.g., alfalfa hay, clover hay, grass hay)
Mixed hay farming
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 111940.
National Hay and Forage Perishables Association
Major industry trade association providing resources for hay producers and forage marketers.
USDA Hay and Forage Statistics
Official government portal offering data, news, and reports on US hay production and market trends.
Hay and Forage Marketing Association
International organization dedicated to supporting the hay and forage industry through education and trade resources.
