Texas has lost almost 2 million acres of working land to development, according to a recent report

A new land trend report out of Texas A&M shows that over the last five years, nearly 1.8 million acres of working land have been developed. Grazing lands account for the majority of that loss.

Since 1997, over 6 million acres of grazing land have been converted to other land uses, but the report was not all bad news: over the last 25 years, wildlife management acres grew from just 94,000 acres to over 7 million. And while the state may have lost more than 17,000 agricultural operations over the last five years, it is still home to 2,500 more than in 1997.

Related Stories
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show continues through Saturday, wrapping up another successful year of celebrating agriculture in the Commonwealth.
Shaun Haney joined us to discuss Canada’s new trade agreement with China, the potential impact on farmers and exporters, and what it could mean for U.S.–Canada trade relations going forward.
The proposal signals a renewed push to offset tariff-driven losses, stabilize nutrition programs, and broaden eligibility for farm aid, though its path forward will depend on congressional negotiations.
The application deadline is March 8, 2026. The 1890 National Scholars Program aims to encourage students at 1890 land-grant universities to pursue careers in food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences.