FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paige Gehlhausen, Press Secretary
Paige.Gehlhausen@iga.in.gov
317-232-9425
Zay: Indiana loses more than 345,000 acres in farmland over 12 years
STATEHOUSE (July 9, 2024) — According to a recently completed study by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Indiana has lost a total of 345,682 acres of farmland between 2010 and 2022, said State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington).
In 2023, Zay voted for and the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1557, which directed the ISDA to conduct an inventory of all farmland lost in Indiana between 2010 and 2022, as well as identify the primary cause of the reduction.
The ISDA's study found most of this loss came from residential development around larger cities. The study also reported the state's agricultural production increased over the course of those 12 years.
"Hoosier farmers have always been the backbone of our economy, and it's important we continue to push to protect them since farmland that's been developed can never be reverted back to agricultural land," Zay said. "That is why I supported efforts to study the inventory of farmland. Research-based evidence is the strongest tool lawmakers can use when creating policies, and the data from this can help us in the future as we try to maintain a balance between agricultural and development needs."
Indiana still ranks as one of the nation's top agricultural states, according to the agricultural census data, and contributes an estimated $35 billion to Indiana's economy.
To read the ISDA's full report on lost farmland in Indiana, click here.
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State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) represents Senate District 17,
which includes Grant, Huntington and Wabash counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
