NAICS 115116

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of economic statistics. Established by the Office of Management and Budget in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS is maintained jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico and is currently published on the 2022 vintage basis. ¹
NAICS 115116 covers establishments primarily engaged in managing farms for others on a contract or fee basis—commonly for groves, orchards, or vineyards. These firms always provide management and, when required, arrange or contract for part or all farm operations such as cultivating or harvesting. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Contract farm management for third parties (fee or contract basis), with ongoing managerial responsibility. ²
• Planning and coordinating partial or complete farm operations for client farms. ²
• Arranging or contracting cultivating activities for managed farms. ²
• Arranging or contracting harvesting activities for managed farms. ²
• Management services commonly delivered to citrus groves, orchards, and vineyards. ²
• Integrating specialized agricultural support services into the overall farm management plan. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	115112	Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating
NAICS	115113	Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
NAICS	115114	Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning)
NAICS	115115	Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders

Boundary and exclusion notes

• Providing management advice without day‑to‑day operational responsibility is classified in NAICS 54161 (Management Consulting Services), not in farm management services. ²
• Supplying agricultural labor is classified in NAICS 115115; establishments that manage farms and arrange labor fall under 115116. ²
• Mechanical crop harvesting for others is classified in NAICS 115113, unless performed under a broader farm‑management arrangement in 115116. ²
• Postharvest services (e.g., sorting, packing) are classified in NAICS 115114, unless conducted under the managed‑farm scope of 115116. ²
• Crop production performed by farms themselves is classified in Subsector 111 (Crop Production), not in 115116. ²

SBA small business size standard (contracting context)

SBA’s table lists the small business size standard for NAICS 115116 as $15.5 million in average annual receipts (effective March 17, 2023). ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 115116?
  Farm management firms oversee client farms and may arrange or contract for part or all operations—such as cultivation and harvesting—while retaining managerial responsibility. The code commonly applies to groves, orchards, and vineyards managed on a fee or contract basis. ²

• How is NAICS 115116 different from farm labor contractors (115115)?
  NAICS 115115 covers supplying agricultural labor, whereas NAICS 115116 provides management and may arrange labor as part of broader farm operations for the managed farm(s). ²

• Does NAICS 115116 include mechanical harvesting services?
  Mechanical harvesting performed as a stand‑alone service is classified in NAICS 115113. If harvesting is arranged or contracted by the farm manager as part of a comprehensive management engagement, it falls under 115116. ²

• What is the current SBA size standard for NAICS 115116?
  SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards sets the threshold at $15.5 million in average annual receipts for NAICS 115116, effective March 17, 2023. ³

• Does NAICS 115116 cover management of livestock operations?
  Official NAICS text for 115116 emphasizes managed crop operations (commonly groves, orchards, vineyards) and does not explicitly address livestock farm management under this code. Not specified by official sources. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 115116 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/115116
• U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and guidance). ⁴
• U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). ³

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Search — 115116 Farm Management Services (definition and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=115116&year=2022&details=115116
3. U.S. Small Business Administration, Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
4. U.S. Census Bureau, The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and overview). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html