Number Of Small Indiana Farms - 10 Acres Or Less - Nearly Doubles In Ten Years

[hatrack]

MUNCIE, Ind. - Rising consumer demand for locally grown, organic produce is fueling a surge in the number of small Indiana farms, boosting their numbers nearly 80 percent over five years, a new farm census report shows.

The number of Indiana farms under 10 acres soared from 5,436 in 2002 to 9,720 in 2007 -- a 79 percent increase -- said Greg Preston, director of the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.

"It's skyrocketing. We are getting a lot of newer farmers coming in that are smaller -- going into direct marketing, specialty products, organics, locally grown, this type of stuff," Preston told The Star Press. For the ag census, taken every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold.

Jerry Nelson, a New Ventures educator at Purdue University, attributes the increase in small farms to demand for locally grown food, the growing number of farmers markets and retiring baby boomers who want to do something different, such as raising alpacas.

EDIT

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-agr-smallfarmsurg,0,6702177.story

[kestrel91316]

1. This way lies salvation.

[Submariner]

2. Finally....a GOOD news story for a change

I'm glad to hear of this. It used to be like this until the Reagan regime brought on corporate farming.

[Kolesar]

4. The whole story is a delight! eom

[jwirr]

3. Thank you for some news about real progress.

[glitch]

5. Second this! nt

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. In addition to returning to our roots, Hoosiers have been scared SHITLESS by the economy

While the shit is really hitting the fan today, Hoosiers have been getting pounded relentlessly with job losses over the last decade. The state relies very heavily on auto related industries and small manufacturing. Outsourcing has devastated many small towns and cities in Indiana. It seems that many Hoosiers have decided that being able to feed yourself, your family and your neighbors is a safer place to be than wishing the manufacturing jobs would return. In short, many Hoosiers are being forced to look at their world differently and many are choosing to return to the land.