Counties with the most farmland in Massachusetts
Farmland across the U.S. is each decade by some estimates as sprawling urban development pushes further into rural pastures.
The farmland that still exists in the U.S. is heavily dedicated to growing plants that Americans can't consume鈥攇rass. That grass, accounting for more than 300 million acres now, feeds our livestock, provides sod for new development, and serves as a cover crop to protect soil health between harvests.
Demand for major crops like corn and soybeans to feed Americans is only to grow in the coming decade, and demand for U.S. agricultural exports is expected to grow similarly.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way people purchased and consumed food, placing renewed attention on an where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations.
And after shifting behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced food producers to once again account for yet another shock with so much of the world's grain capital .
War and corporate interests aside, farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to . Agitated by climate change, the shortage of water in parts of the country coupled with are making agricultural businesses harder to run profitably.
To illustrate where American farms still persevere, compiled a list of counties with the most farmland in Massachusetts using data from the Agriculture Department's . Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including as well as loan assistance. Counties are ranked by total acres of farmland.
In Massachusetts, there are 108,485 acres of farmland, with honey being the most common crop.
