Canva
1 / 25#25. Grady
- Farmland: 468,115 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 2,000
- Most common crop: Native grass (186,555 acres, 39.9% of county farmland)
Counties with the most farmland in Oklahoma
Farmland across the U.S. is disappearing by the millions of acres each decade by some estimates as sprawling urban development driven by rising housing costs pushes further into rural pastures.
The farmland that still exists in the U.S. is heavily dedicated to growing plants that Americans can't consume—grass. That grass, accounting for more than 300 million acres now, feeds our livestock, provides sod for new development, and serves as a cover crop to protect soil health between harvests.
Demand for major crops like corn and soybeans to feed Americans is only forecast by the USDA to grow in the coming decade, and demand for U.S. agricultural exports is expected to grow similarly.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way people purchased and consumed food, placing renewed attention on an increasingly consolidated agricultural industry where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations.
And after shifting behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced food producers to once again account for yet another shock with so much of the world's grain capital taken offline by warfare.
War and corporate interests aside, farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to give up growing the crop entirely. Agitated by climate change, the shortage of water in parts of the country coupled with higher interest rates and the ongoing war in Ukraine are making agricultural businesses harder to run profitably.
To illustrate where American farms still persevere, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most farmland in Oklahoma using data from the Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency. Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as well as loan assistance. Counties are ranked by total acres of farmland.
In Oklahoma, there are 26,935,154 acres of farmland, with native grass being the most common crop.
You may also like: Most commonly seen birds in Oklahoma
Canva
2 / 25#24. Kay
- Farmland: 497,493 acres (1.8% of state total)
- Farms: 1,958
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (129,866 acres, 26.1% of county farmland)
Canva
3 / 25#23. Major
- Farmland: 529,554 acres (2.0% of state total)
- Farms: 1,755
- Most common crop: Native grass (199,685 acres, 37.7% of county farmland)
Canva
4 / 25#22. Beckham
- Farmland: 564,325 acres (2.1% of state total)
- Farms: 1,733
- Most common crop: Native grass (266,817 acres, 47.3% of county farmland)
Richard G Smith // Shutterstock
5 / 25#21. Blaine
- Farmland: 581,493 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 1,999
- Most common crop: Native grass (175,342 acres, 30.2% of county farmland)
You may also like: Hottest months in Oklahoma since 1895
Canva
6 / 25#20. Alfalfa
- Farmland: 583,634 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 1,723
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (188,568 acres, 32.3% of county farmland)
Sabrina Janelle Gordon // Shutterstock
7 / 25#19. Kingfisher
- Farmland: 585,857 acres (2.2% of state total)
- Farms: 2,184
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (177,760 acres, 30.3% of county farmland)
Canva
8 / 25#18. Roger Mills
- Farmland: 608,462 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,232
- Most common crop: Native grass (436,906 acres, 71.8% of county farmland)
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
9 / 25#17. Tillman
- Farmland: 616,515 acres (2.3% of state total)
- Farms: 1,549
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (126,784 acres, 20.6% of county farmland)
Canva
10 / 25#16. Jackson
- Farmland: 642,808 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,538
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (128,022 acres, 19.9% of county farmland)
You may also like: Highest-rated wineries in Oklahoma by visitors
Canva
11 / 25#15. Custer
- Farmland: 647,903 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 1,651
- Most common crop: Native grass (252,598 acres, 39.0% of county farmland)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
12 / 25#14. Grant
- Farmland: 654,040 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 2,208
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (232,552 acres, 35.6% of county farmland)
Canva
13 / 25#13. Caddo
- Farmland: 658,454 acres (2.4% of state total)
- Farms: 3,194
- Most common crop: Common bermuda grass (164,585 acres, 25.0% of county farmland)
Canva
14 / 25#12. Ellis
- Farmland: 663,886 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 1,577
- Most common crop: Native grass (491,433 acres, 74.0% of county farmland)
Canva
15 / 25#11. Woodward
- Farmland: 673,444 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 1,558
- Most common crop: Native grass (489,178 acres, 72.6% of county farmland)
You may also like: Coldest Septembers in Oklahoma since 1895
Canva
16 / 25#10. Garfield
- Farmland: 674,652 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 2,635
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (239,229 acres, 35.5% of county farmland)
Andrey Bayda // Shutterstock
17 / 25#9. Washita
- Farmland: 680,325 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 2,425
- Most common crop: Hard red winter wheat (163,990 acres, 24.1% of county farmland)
Canva
18 / 25#8. Kiowa
- Farmland: 697,111 acres (2.6% of state total)
- Farms: 2,168
- Most common crop: Native grass (241,782 acres, 34.7% of county farmland)
Canva
19 / 25#7. Dewey
- Farmland: 721,727 acres (2.7% of state total)
- Farms: 1,637
- Most common crop: Native grass (422,110 acres, 58.5% of county farmland)
RaksyBH // Shutterstock
20 / 25#6. Harper
- Farmland: 746,353 acres (2.8% of state total)
- Farms: 1,561
- Most common crop: Native grass (458,457 acres, 61.4% of county farmland)
You may also like: The 15 most affordable cities in Oklahoma to buy a house
Canva
21 / 25#5. Osage
- Farmland: 772,249 acres (2.9% of state total)
- Farms: 1,905
- Most common crop: Native grass (636,838 acres, 82.5% of county farmland)
Kit Leong // Shutterstock
22 / 25#4. Woods
- Farmland: 840,252 acres (3.1% of state total)
- Farms: 1,903
- Most common crop: Native grass (469,292 acres, 55.9% of county farmland)
Canva
23 / 25#3. Beaver
- Farmland: 1,074,991 acres (4.0% of state total)
- Farms: 2,033
- Most common crop: Native grass (631,762 acres, 58.8% of county farmland)
Canva
24 / 25#2. Texas
- Farmland: 1,169,669 acres (4.3% of state total)
- Farms: 2,117
- Most common crop: Native grass (410,268 acres, 35.1% of county farmland)
Canva
25 / 25#1. Cimarron
- Farmland: 1,219,504 acres (4.5% of state total)
- Farms: 1,693
- Most common crop: Native grass (646,848 acres, 53.0% of county farmland)
You may also like: As more states adopt traffic enforcement cameras, here's where Oklahoma stands
