摘要：Almost 94 percent o f black farms i n the United States have been l o s t since 1920, remaining 57,271 farms constituted only 2.3 percent of a l l farms i n 1978. Most (95 percent) black farm operators were located i n the South. However, they constituted only 5.4 percent of a l l farm operators i n the South. Since 1959, there have been some dramatic changes not only i n the number o f black farms but i n t h e i r composition also. Ninety three percent o f the South's black farmers were small, both i n size and product sales, and they operated only 1.4 percent o f a l l operated land. These black farmers were older than t h e i r white counterparts and worked fewer days off-farm. Thus most black operated farms i n the South were small and they faced several unique problems along with those problems faced by other small farmers. The paper i d e n t i f i e s , compares, and contrasts resources and characteristics o f black farm operators i n the 14 southern states. Relevant unpublished and published census OF a g r i c u l t u r e data were used t o provide i n s i g h t s i n t o the black farmers i n the South. Paper provides background material f o r researchers and p o l i c y makers and attempts t o i d e n t i f y those voids which may receive emphasis in future work
