Taking stock of lost farmland

Feb 08, 2023

A bill in Indiana would ask the department of agriculture to explore lost land and causes

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

An Indiana lawmaker wants to know how much farmland his state has lost in the last 12 years.

State Rep. Kendell Culp’s (R-Rensselaer) bill, House Bill 1577, passed unanimously through the House of Representatives and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

His bill calls for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to examine how many acres of farmland the state has lost between 2010 and 2022, and to report on why the losses occurred.

If passed, the state ag department would have to submit a report by July 1, 2024 that would also include legislation recommendations to protect farmland.

"Prime farmland continues to be developed for other purposes, which undermines global food security, local food systems and the environment," Culp said in a statement. "As the nation's breadbasket, Indiana benefits greatly from agricultural prosperity. With Indiana continuing to grow in terms of population and advancements, we must take stock of our valuable farmland and make sure we continue to protect this great asset."

Indiana has lost 831,000 acres of farmland between 1982 and 2012, the department of agriculture reports.

That’s an average of 27,700 acres per year.

The U.S. has lost 24 million acres during the same timeframe, or about 800,000 acres per year.

Farms.com has contacted industry groups in Indiana for comment on the bill.

Video: A Farm Song (Busy) | Parody of A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey

Lyrics:

My days begin with workin’, Alarm’s at 5 o’clock,
I Fill 5 gallon buckets, The feeders and the troughs,
This five to nine ain’t workin’, why the heck do I work so hard?,
I can’t worry ‘bout health problems, I can sleep in when I’m gone,

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

I’ve been working pretty stressed but,
I ain’t changing for some cash,
Lord knows that I’m very blessed (More chores),
But I gotta say it’s hard,
Workin’ outside gettin’ charred,
Living out here on the farm, (more chores)

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history
There’s another 20 chickens that still need feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm getting’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Fun, here on ranch that’s what you can’t ignore,
Might be pretty hard but I love it to its core,
Flannel’s gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores (Tell ‘em sing with me)

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
Watching cattle in the dark, don’t miss me,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
(Yeeeeeehaw)
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
It’s the best bro, go get yourself a farm