The Census of Agriculture recently released reveals that the number of farms in Pennsylvania fell by 6,156, or more than 10% from the last census, as the total number of farms dropped to 53,157, reports The Daily Item.
The Ag census occurs every five years and most recently compares 2017 to 2012.
The overall decrease in the number of farms is concerning as is the loss of 400,000 acres of farmland, said Mark O’Neill, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
“Although we knew there was going to be a significant drop in the number of farms, seeing the decrease of more than 10% over a five-year period on paper was disheartening,” O’Neill told The Daily Item.
