Crop Farms and the Bay
There are over 87,000 farms in the Bay watershed, making up a quarter of the 44 million acres that empy into the Bay. 17% of the total watershed land area is being used as crop farms. The farming economy is essential to the health of many watershed communities and represents a way of life treasured by many (CBP).
Why are farms important?
- Much of the eastern region of the watershed is devoted to corn, wheat, and soy bean production. These crops, in addition to animal products, generate $8 billion every year to the regional economy.
- Watershed farmers play a large role in feeding the growing populations of the eastern United States.
- To farmers, the preservation of their farmland, and their ability to make a living on it, is extremely important--especially in the face of growing suburban sprawl, high fuel costs, and diminishing profits. Scientists estimate that the population of the watershed will be more than 19 million by 2030 (USGS). This population increase has led, in the last 50 years, to a 75% decrease in the number of farms in the watershed (CBF).
"An acre of well-managed farmland is better for the Bay than an acre of new development." (CBF)
Farmland preservation efforts include establishing conservation easements, setting zoning restrictions, planning land use, and working with land trusts. To find out more about threats to agriculture in the Bay watershed, read the Chespeake Bay Foundation's Guide to Preserving Agricultural Lands in the Chesapeake Bay Region.
Source: The Chesapeake Bay Program
Image sources: http://md.water.usgs.gov/publications/ofr-01-251/images/fig8.jpg
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2007/12/071217171404-large.jpg