STATEHOUSE (Jan. 30, 2023) – The House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee today approved State Rep. Kendell Culp's (R-Rensselaer) legislation that would launch a statewide inventory of farmland lost in Indiana over the last 12 years.
The U.S. is projected to lose more than 18 million acres of farmland by 2040, according to the American Farmland Trust. Culp, a grain and livestock producer, said agriculture contributes over $31 billion to the state's economy, but prime farmland continues to be developed for other purposes and its impact could be damaging in the long term.
"We already know that the state is losing farm acreage, and now is the time to see how fast that is occurring and what type of development is causing the disappearance of this valuable land," Culp said. "We need to be diligent and consider how the loss of farmland will impact our future, and how we can work better to protect it. Once farmland is converted for development, it's unlikely to ever be used for agricultural purposes again."
Under Culp's bill, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture would be charged with conducting a statewide inventory of agricultural land lost from 2010 to 2022, and report on the causes for the loss of the farmland.
According to the American Farmland Trust, reported acreage of Indiana farms in 1950 was over 19.6 million, making up 84.8% of the state's total land area. Based on the last census in 2017, Indiana's total farm acreage was 14.9 million.
Culp's House Bill 1557 now heads to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. Watch session live and view legislation at iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) represents House District 16,
which includes portions of Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and White counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
