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
Oregon FFA CEO Kjer Kizer discusses the proposed budget reductions, potential consequences, and the importance of protecting learning opportunities for students interested in agriculture.
Farms and major food companies use AI to improve efficiency and forecast demand. Still, developers said that training AI for different uses is only possible with support from knowledgeable workers.
The report shows that, despite production challenges, dairy farmers are producing more milk with fewer resources per gallon across the industry.
More than 1,100 residents and farmers have signed a letter urging Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to step in, saying the proposal threatens irrigation supplies and long-term farm viability in the region.
Higher yields are cushioning lower acreage, but reduced production could support firmer potato prices into 2026.
Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct will take effect on Jan. 1, a goodwill effort to promote fairness and transparency between retailers and support farms that sell directly to stores.