States with the largest share of their land designated farmland.

[marmar]

No reason for posting this except that it's statistical trivia that I find fascinating.




https://www.mathscinotes.com/2017/08/us-farmland-by-state/

[Pobeka]

1. Would be interesting how it changes if you include forestland as well.

I was thinking WA would show up higher on the farmland list, but we have a significant amount of forestland, which doesn't count as farmland, but is still managed for a crop.

No quick way to get at this but an image from wikipedia at least confirms my suspicion is in the right direction...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_cover_by_state_and_territory_in_the_United_States

[yellowdogintexas]

7. WA also has that high desert in the eastern half and some mountains

I should think they take up potential acreage somewhat

[Pas-de-Calais]

2. Sort of matches each states political leanings,,

Federal & State

More info needed of course,,,

[hunter]

3. We could fix that by quitting factory farm meat and dairy products, and fuel ethanol.

Instead of subsidizing these things we should be buying out farmers who support these industries so we can restore the land to something approaching it's natural state.

We wouldn't even have to kick the farmers out of their homes, just tell them to be good stewards for the trees, prairie, bison, wolves, etc.. Pay them to plant trees, restore wetlands, etc.

Oh, I can dream...

Monoculture is an environmental disaster. Our nation is covered by vast wastelands of corn, wheat, and soybeans which are used to make unhealthy foods like bacon and high fructose corn syrup, or to make fuel for dirty dangerous automobiles.

Humans can be worse than nuclear fallout. Some humans will kill every good thing they claim their god created. If I were their god I'd be angry.

[MuseRider]

4. I know the few farmers left around here

that are not owned by the big companies still have to plant their company seeds and they are not happy about it. I would bet that many of them would love your suggestions. They are there because they love their farms that have been in their families but no longer look like that or run like that and they can only do it by keeping a full time job on top of working the farm. In the almost 30 years I have been out here the changes are stunning.

**I find myself completely creeped out driving around here. Corn is all the same height and matures exactly at the same time, same with soy beans and I assume wheat but I do not see much of that around my area anymore. Signs for the corporate seed companies occupy ever acre planted. Now there is more crop dusting than I have ever seen. They fly so low over my farm that I can see the pilots face. I would bet that every single farmer out here would love to control their own farm and do things in a way that worked for years and years and was actually very socialist.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. seed company signs have been a feature of the landscape around my home area

for as long as I can remember which is pretty darn far. They are nothing new. I will always remember "Funk's G Hybrid" which was the most common. Just a little white shield on a metal stake along the fence line.

They are probably still doing that but I am not there often enough to know if they still say "Funk's G Hybrid"

The signs helped ID the planting for the farmer, the County Agent and the company, especially if a farmer is testing a new strain. I remember them used on corn more than any other crop.

[yellowdogintexas]

6. the farmers I know are still doing things pretty much the way they always have,except

they have better equipment. We are not talking Big Agra here. These are 4th and 5th generation family farms. They rotate the beans, corn and wheat from field to field to replenish the soil enzymes. Every year a different crop surrounds my sister's house. I get the feeling they are pretty much doing things exactly the way they want it done.

Cropdusting is not nearly as common as it used to be, at least in Southern KY. I remember being kept in the house when the dusters were flying and not allowed to play in the yard for a few days after.

The biggest complaint I hear from my sister is about land no longer farmed and sold for home construction. The city to the south in Tennessee is urban crawling its way up to KY and new factory development is encroaching as well. A lot of the land being sold is owned by descendents of folks from 3 generations back who just want to sell it while they can still have the $$. Local farmers try to pick it up when they can but the sales often happen so fast they don't have a chance.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. I thought KY would roll in at about 50% due to the number of acres in National forests

state parks, National Parks, TVA lakes and the Eastern Coal Country (those mountains are not good for much crop wise). The good farmland is basically the western half of the state.

It is a very rural state but not as farm dominated as one would think. Predominatly row crops, with tobacco, pigs and cattle mostly and maybe some chicken farms.

Hemp is the up and comer though.