Michigan Loses Nearly 700,000 Acres of Farmland in 20 Years

Michigan has lost farmland for more than the last 20 years. Once farmland is lost, it rarely returns. So, what is causing farms to disappear?

Michigan Agriculture Overview

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Michigan has over 44,000 farms that cover nearly 9.5 million acres of land. The state is the second most diverse for agriculture producing over 300 commodities, with 60% crops and 40% livestock, contributing heavily to the state's economy.

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Michigan is the national leader in cherry production, blueberries, asparagus, dairy products, dry beans, and potted flowers. Other major products include soybeans, corn, sugar beets, pork, and cattle. The agricultural products sold exceed $12 billion.

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Nearly 85% of Michigan farms are family-owned unlike many of the other states that have corporations that purchased the land.

Read More: Michigan Island Almost Became the U.N. Headquarters

Farmland Shrinks: Michigan Down 700K Acres Over Two Decades

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The number of farms and total farmland acres are slowly decreasing in Michigan. Roughly 300,000 acres of farmland has been lost between 2017 and 2022 and nearly 700,000 over the last 20 years.

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So what is causing the farmland to shrink in Michigan? Some farmers are retiring and their children have chosen other career paths so there is no one to continue the family farm.

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According to MLive, the reason farmland is shrinking in Michigan is because of investors, developers, and renewable energy projects are creating stiff competition for rural land. Many farmers are selling to the highest bidder.

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Many farmers are converting fields to solar or wind energy sites or selling land to developers for renewable installations or housing.

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Still the number one buyers of farmland are farmers, but as land prices increase each year, number of famers decreases.

👇BELOW: Abandoned Farmland, Lansing👇