DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV] — Between 2017 and 2022, Iowa lost over half a million acres in farmland, according to the latest agriculture census from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The census outlines that in 2017, there were 30,563,878 acres of farmland in our state. That number dropped to 29,978,165 acres in 2022. In just five years, the state lost 587,713 acres of farmland in total. Sally Worley, the Executive Director of Practical Farmers of Iowa, a local organization with the goal of helping farmers practice agriculture that benefits the land and the people, say that’s a concerning statistic.

Worley said, “One of the biggest issues with farming is accessing land, especially because land prices aren’t in line with productive value. The market value far exceeds the productive value of the farm for a year-to-year income.” Although the census didn’t outline how the farmland was lost, Worley said that there is a general trend of suburban and urban farmland being sold to developers. She said that the main farmers that will be impacted by this are new farmers and those looking to upscale their businesses. This is because it’s already difficult to access farmland since it’s expensive and Worley says a lot of farmland isn’t on the public market. Therefore, fewer total acres of land available adds to the issue of accessing acres.

However, there were also some positive takeaways from the census. Christopher Pudenz, an economist with the Iowa Farm Bureau, said that compared to the nation, Iowa had more positive results. According to Pudenz, despite losing a large sum of land and having the average farm size decrease, Iowa gained farmers and farms. Furthermore, the average age of farmers in the state increased less than the national average. He said that his overall takeaway from the census was positive. Pudenz also notes that 2022 was a strong year for our state in terms of row crops and hog markets. However, he said the industry has seen some changes since then. He said that 2024 is projected to see a 25% decrease in farmer income compared to 2023, which already saw a substantial decrease from 2022.

“From where we sit right now, 2024 is likely to be a year of tightening the belt for many farm budgets. Still optimistic for the short, medium, and long term, but definitely some headwinds that exist in this year that we weren’t experiencing when the census was done in 2022,” Pudenz said. On the bright side, Worley said that while she expects there to be continued pressure between development and farmland, there are ways to turn to the tide. One of the ways she is seeing is a greater interest in farmers growing table food, which is the crops that consumers eat directly like fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Most of Iowa’s farmland is used for growing corn and soy, which are products that are mainly used for animal feed, processed foods, and ethanol.The growth of farming table food in Iowa can be a silver lining to the decrease in farmland because this type of farming generally requires a smaller acre base, according to Worley.

Worley and Pudenz both indicated that the best way people can support Iowa farmers is through shopping locally. Practical Farmers of Iowa lists ways people can support local farmers on their website.