What are the best (and worst) states to start a new farm?

Source: Lawnstarter.com

Farming and ranching aren’t the most glamorous professions — you’re up before sunrise to till the soil and milk the cows — but they are among the most rewarding and essential jobs.

The states of Kentucky, Oklahoma, and North Dakota

ranked #1, 2, and 3 as the best states to start a new farming operation

Besides feeding the world, the U.S. agriculture industry forms a big part of our economic backbone. All the rapid innovation over recent decades, too, means modern farmers and ranchers have far greater opportunities to expand in their field.

But which states are better if you want to start a Green Acres life or be At Home on the Range where the cattle and horses roam?

LawnStarter compared the 50 states across 44 key metrics to rank the Best States to Start a Farm or Ranch. We looked at the infrastructure, prevalence, environmental factors, cost, and potential returns of farming and ranching in each state.

Scroll down for our ranking and some highlights and lowlights. And don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty planting in the soil or cleaning the pig pens.

* Best and worst states for starting a farm, based on metrics including cost of an acre of land, property taxes, average farm size acreage.

1 Kentucky

2 Oklahoma

3 North Dakota

4 Texas

5 Montana

6 Arkansas

7 Idaho

8 Iowa

9 Kansas

10 Nebraska

11 Wyoming

12 Tennessee

13 Missouri

14 South Dakota

15 Colorado

16 Oregon

17 New Mexico

18 Minnesota

19 Washington

20 Mississippi

21 Wisconsin

22 Georgia

23 South Carolina

24 Louisiana

25 California

26 Virginia

27 Indiana

28 Alabama

29 North Carolina

30 Ohio

31 Maryland

32 Arizona

33 Florida

34 Illinois

35 West Virginia

36 New York

37 Utah

38 Pennsylvania

39 Michigan

40 Nevada

41 Delaware

42 Vermont

43 New Hampshire

44 Massachusetts

45 New Jersey

46 Hawaii

47 Rhode Island

48 Connecticut

49 Maine

50 Alaska

** Methodology and other graphics may be found here