THE NATIONAL SURVEY - 2026 REPORT
Small farms. Big impact.
The voices of nearly 1000 farmers and aspiring farmers reveal the diversity, contribution and challenges of Australia's small-scale farming sector.
979
valid survey responses from active and aspiring farmers
61.3%
of respondents identified as first-generation farmers
82.5%
reported household off-farm income
69%
of farming respondents ranked business viability among top challenges
01 · A different picture of agriculture
One survey. Two essential conversations.
FOR FARMERS & GROWERS
You’re not farming alone
See how your experiences compare with those of other small-scale farmers — from off-farm work and land access to markets, climate and wellbeing.
Explore lived experience ↗
Explore lived experience
Small farmers tell a story about a sector delivering value that conventional measures struggle to see.
FOR INDUSTRY AND DECISION MAKERS
Evidence to act on
Understand the sector's contributions, the structural barriers identified by respondents, and practical recommendations for policy and investment.
Explore recommendations ↗
02 · Explore the evidence
What the farmers told us.
Tap a theme to explore the numbers and the story behind them.
WHO FARMS?
61.3%
First-generation farmers
Most respondents were the first in their family to farm. This is a sector building new pathways into agriculture.
Source: report pp. 13, 35–40.
Respondents by state and territory
Number of respondentsThese geographic figures describe survey participation, not farm population density.
LOCATION EXPLORER
Where responses came from
Choose a state or territory to zoom in. Pins group entries from the same postcode; larger clusters represent more entries.
About this map: Map pin positions are approximate postcode/locality reference coordinates, not farm addresses. The map uses an externally hosted Australian postcode reference for coordinates; some entries may not be geolocatable.
2026 Small Farms Count Survey · Young Farmers Connect. Findings refer to survey respondents, not to all Australian farms. Questions had different response totals; multi-select figures may overlap.
03 · More than a measure of output
Small farms big contribution
See what support could unlock ↗
Together, the farms in this study stewarded approximately 44,407 hectares of land, supported local food economies and invested in ecological practices.
The report found that 82.8% of respondents described using regenerative, organic, holistic, permaculture or agroecological approaches. These are self-reported farming practices, rather than independently measured environmental outcomes.
Food grown for communities through local marketing channels.
Local employment, education, relationships and economic circulation.
Land stewardship, biodiversity and adaptation to climate variability.
Report pp. 14, 48, 50, 56, 72–78.
FROM THE FARM - NEIGHBOURHOOD FARM
“The community is the reason we are still operational.”
Matt Bakker, Neighbourhood Farm, Brisbane — Case study, report p.44
05 · The people behind the data
Five farms. Five different realities.
See what support could unlock ↗
Real experiences help explain the numbers — from community support to difficult decisions about profitability and infrastructure.
Register for the report.
We received 1000 responses to this survey and are now busy crunching the numbers and exploring the rich data that has been provided by small scale farmers across Australia. Thanks for contributing to this important research.
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Small Farms Count is a project of Young Farmers Connect We are a not-for-profit that unites new, young and aspiring farmers, providing tailored education and peer-to-peer learning across Australia. We empower people to connect; with the land, their food and each other. Learn more about our vision, programs and partners here :
This action research project has been generously supported and enabled by the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Sustainable Table, Sustain - Australian Food Network, the National Young Farmers Coalition (US)
Young Farmers Connect acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are the traditional custodians of this land and pay respects to Elders both past and present. We honour their deep knowledge, wisdom and ongoing connection to Country, and seek to learn from this wisdom in the way we interact with each other and the land, sea and sky. We recognise that we farm, work and live as stewards on unceded lands.
