Farms.com Home   News

Planning could lessen impact of urban sprawl

Pick any state and you are likely to find examples of urban sprawl, where farmland is being converted into subdivisions and industry.

And those examples are not just found around large metropolitan areas such as Kansas City, Chicago, St. Louis and Des Moines. Ag land is disappearing around other growing cities throughout the Midwest.

A report written in 2022 from the American Farmland Trust suggests this trend is likely to continue. In the report, the organization said from 2001 to 2016, the U.S. lost or compromised 2,000 acres of farmland every day. If the trend continues, another 18.4 million acres will be converted between 2016 and 2040. That is roughly the size of the state of South Carolina.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Dr. Amy Hagerman’s 2025 Ag Policy Year-End Review & What’s Coming in 2026

Video: Dr. Amy Hagerman’s 2025 Ag Policy Year-End Review & What’s Coming in 2026

2025 brought big changes in U.S. agricultural policy — from disaster assistance updates and risk management programs to farm bill discussions and new sustainability initiatives. In this year-end wrap-up, Dr. Amy Hagerman, OSU Extension Ag Policy Specialist, highlights the most important developments and what they mean for farmers and ranchers heading into 2026.