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

Cover Crop Grazing

Video: Cover Crop Grazing

The Living Lab–Ontario Cover Crop Grazing project is testing how livestock and cover crops can work together to build healthier soils. By comparing grazed and ungrazed cover crops on a diversified farm, researchers and farmers are measuring soil health, compaction, and crop performance. The goal is to uncover practical ways to extend grazing seasons, add value to crop rotations, and create more resilient soils for the next generation of farmers.