The pilot reported he had 24 gallons of fuel on board when he departed. The airplane lost engine power in flight while en route to its destination, an approximate distance of 58 miles. The pilot performed a forced landing on a terraced field. The pilot reported that there was sunlight, which blocked his detection of the terrace. The airplane's nose landing gear impacted the terrace, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot's accident report indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no usable fuel remaining in the fuel tanks.