INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana lost about 345,700 acres of farmland to other purposes between 2010 and 2022, but agricultural productivity still increased, the state found in a study released Monday. Most of it was lost to residential development at the edges of cities and suburban areas, says the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).
“The inventory of lost farmland was an opportunity for ISDA and legislators to gain access to reliable data, where up until now, we could only make assumptions,” agency Director Don Lamb said in a news release.
“This information is important for policy development as we work to balance economic growth, food security, and the preservation of agricultural land because we know when agriculture is strong, Indiana is too,” Lamb said.
Lawmakers last year tasked the Indiana State Department of Agriculture with creating the inventory. Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, called his proposal “a food security bill” at the time.
ISDA recommended lawmakers let it update the report, involve local government in farmland preservation, and decide on a threshold for an “alarming level” of lost acreage.
“Agriculture is, and always has been, the lifeblood of the Hoosier state,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s secretary of agriculture and rural development. “Data is critical for all levels of government when making decisions that may affect our rural communities and food security.”
See a map of how much each Hoosier county lost or gained in farmland and read the entire Leslie Bonilla Muñiz story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
