Farming on the Edge

Check out a recent study by the American Farmland Trust called "Farming on the Edge." Here are some of its major findings: America is losing two acres of farmland per minute. We are losing our best land the fastest, and our capacity to produce food is increasingly in the path of development.

Now here is a surprising finding: Wasteful land use is a much bigger problem than growth itself. The study reveals that over the past 20 years our acreage per person for new housing has almost doubled. It also states that since 1994, 10+ acre lots have accounted for 55 percent of the total land lost to development.

Which leads me to conclude that managing sprawl may actually have the potential to save more farmland than managing growth.

So, when someone tells you they are going to "save the farmland" by developing only 5+ acre lots with individual wells and septic systems, you really have to wonder if they have done their homework.

Large lot development "chews up" our farmland the fastest. Yes, it's an attractive life style for those who can afford it. But, developing in this singular fashion doesn't save farms, it consumes them.