The May 4 story “Farmland still in decline in county” cited data about farmland trends from the 2012 U.S. Agriculture Census for Clark County. The article pointed out that from 2007-2012 the total acreage and number of farms in Clark County continued to decline.
Consider that the latest agricultural census encompassed the recent Great Recession. Since 2006, Clark County has seen little new residential development. Land conversion to new home development was not the culprit for the latest reported farmland decline. Second, the emergence of new farms, which many associate with small-scale, sustainable food crop farming, helped to stem the tide of cropland conversion, but did not overcome the overall trend. From 2007 to 2012, vegetables and orchards increased by 316 acres. Without the addition of small-farm food crop agriculture, the loss of cropland would have been 1,640 acres instead of 1,324 acres.
It is a concern that small-scale farming does not generate sufficient income. In 2012, the average net cash income per farm in Clark County was only $1,243. Statewide, the estimated net cash income per farm was reported at $47,000. We certainly need the farmers outside our borders to supply our food requirements.
Bruce Prenguber
Vancouver
