New Report Shows Rising Weather Costs for Olmsted County Farms

Mayo Clinic may be our largest employer here in Rochester, but agriculture is still big business in Olmsted County, and it's one that is constantly at the mercy of Mother Nature. Here's how much our local farms could lose this year, thanks to our ever-changing weather here in Minnesota.

While there are currently fewer farms than in the past, there is still a lot of agriculture taking place in our neck of the woods. According to the latest Census of Agriculture county profile, about 1,100 active farms are currently operating in Olmsted County, with around 308,000 total acres of farmland currently in use. The average farm size is around 279 acres, the survey said.

Olmsted County Agriculture Still Drives Millions in Economic Activity

And those farms have a major economic impact on Olmsted County. The county’s farms generate significant economic activity, as well, including: About $337 million in agricultural products sold, over $252 million in farm production expenses, and roughly $101 million in net cash farm income, according to the latest survey.

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But the numbers those farms are putting up are in danger these days, thanks to increasingly severe weather and natural disasters that Mother Nature continues to dish out. That's the word from a new report by product lifecycle management firm Traceone. Their report compiled a look at the overall total, and per-farm annual agricultural losses due to natural disasters like droughts and flooding.

New Report Estimates Heavy Weather Losses for Local Farms

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And their report found that Olmsted County's hard-working farmers could face nearly a thousand dollars in extra costs per farm, per year, thanks to those severe weather outbreaks and natural disasters.

Specifically, here is the impact of natural disasters on Olmsted County agriculture: The Traceone report indicated that farms in Olmsted County are expected to lose a total of about $897.1K per year to natural disasters. That works out to an average per-farm loss of $814.

Drought Named Biggest Threat to Olmsted County Agriculture

Just which type of severe weather event or natural disaster is responsible for those losses? The report notes that the worst type of natural hazard for Olmsted County’s agriculture is drought, which can reduce water availability, shrink crop yields, and place added stress on livestock.

As we all know, and as our April tornado outbreak showed, Mother Nature can be unrelenting. Here's hoping things go much more smoothly as the 2026 growing season gets underway. Because even if you're not a farmer, if you eat-- you're involved with agriculture! Speaking of eating, keep scrolling to check out some Rochester restaurants we would hate to see close.