Where has all the Farm Land Gone?

My job gives me the opportunity to help all kinds of people. As a person in the Agriculture lending industry for the past 25 years, I have spent most of my time taking care of the true row crop farmers, the cattlemen, poultry farmers, and the fish and fruit growers. However, in the area that I now cover, the day of the true agriculture operation is almost extinct. The area is becoming very commercialized and the price of real estate is sky high. There is no way that the true farmer can justify making a living by raising his crops or cattle on land that is $3,000 to $5,000 per acre.

Yes in this area, the influx of the person who has the desire for 30 acres, a house and a horse are ever increasing. This has driven the price of land sky high and even the most dedicated farmers can't help but think seriously about dividing their land into small tracts to sell for housing development.

As you drive the country roads, as I did today, you see less tractors and cows and more bulldozers and paving machines. The area is becoming one large subdivision.

All I can say is where has all the farm land gone?

Agriculture - my Life - Hillbilly-Willy --My Fun

I was raised on a farm in West Texas. I have now migrated to the hills of Arkansas. I have a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics. However, I enjoy taking on the ruse of a southern Hillbilly - writing about life and bringing any information that I can on my two blogs. One is the ruse - Just having fun at http://hillbilly-willy.blogspot.com/ and the other is a more serious nature trying to be a part of the Country life at http://blogriculture.blogspot.com/.

10-4 Willy

Agriculture and Life in Rural America

As a Master Degreed individual from Texas A&M University and being displaced in the hills of Arkansas, I write under the pen name of Hillbilly-Willy. I relate to the folks in th Ozark Hills. They take life a little differently from some of the rest of the World.

In my real day job, i work with Ranchers, farmers and those who desire the rural life. many of these however, work hard, but paly hard also. Just like today in Arkansas. This is the opening day of duck season and the second weekend of modern gun deer season. Do you think these folks are out working with the cows. Heck no! They are in the woods and blinds doing what they work all week to afford. This is what we want here.

Let this site be one of real exchange about agriculture or rural living. Let this site also be about those things that we love to do in the rural lifestyle.

If you want to become a regular contributor. Post a comment and say in that comment you want to become a contributor. I will set you up and you can become a regular author on this. Site. Lets have fun and exchange great ideas.