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Farm
& Garden . On
the Farm As we were at work on this month's series of pieces on The Civil War, in honor of Memorial Day, we got to wondering about the impact of the wars on farming. ... It's almost become an axiom by now that the wars of this century have resulted in a decline in small farms. After WW I, the old song chimed the question ...
And we wondered whether the same was true for WW II or The Civil War. ... So we got hold of some numbers, crunched them, then ran them through our magic chart machine, and here's what we found. Sadly, the pictures were worth a thousand words, although we were a little surprised at the timing. For both Addison & Chittenden counties, the general decline in farming is evident. But,
The decline in the number of farms began after The Civil War, though not immediately afterward. The total number of farms peaked between 1870-1880 and reached a low point in 1992, since which time there has been a slight increase. Although a general decline characterizes the changes, when we look at the percentage changes from year to year, we can see several surges in growth -- most notably, in the midst of the Great Depression, just after WW II, again in the early 1980's, and finally, the most recent increases in 1997. Of course, as percentages compared to prior years, even large percentage increases as time wears on don't account for as many new farms as they would have in earlier years. The following table shows, first, the maximum & minimum number of farms, along with the years of record, as well as the total losses in number of farms and the percentage loss for the period. The percentages here are based on the differences between 1870 and 1997. Next, it shows the total loss and percentages from maximum to minimum values for the years indicated.
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The percentage loss of farm acreage is roughly the same as the percentage of farms lost for both Chittenden County and the entire state, both showing greater than a 70% loss. But Addison County has managed to hold on to more of its farm acreage, even as the number of farms declined. This is most likely due to some consolidation of farm properties. When we look at the year-to-year percentage increases, we can see a sharp decline in around 1880, with a subsequent surge through the end of that century. Thereafter, like the percentage changes for the total number of farms, there are spikes around the Great Depression, and again after WW II. However, while the number of farms showed fairly significant percentage increases again in the early 1980's and in 1997, the actual amount of acreage in farming continued to decline, with the exception of a small increase in Chittenden County in 1997. Unlike the number of farms, which reached a maximum between 1870-1880, farm acreage actually continued to grow throughout the rest of the 19th century, reaching a maximum between 1900-1910. The following table shows, first, the maximum & minimum amount of farm acreage, along with the years of record, as well as the total losses in acreage and the percentage loss for the period. The percentages here are based on the differences between 1860 and 1997. Next, it shows the total loss of acreage and the corresponding percentages from maximum to minimum values for the years indicated.
There is no question that the number of farms and farm acreage has been declining steadily. The real question is what, if anything, can be done to keep Vermont's and the Valley's family farms from continuing to decline. As more and more agri-business has become incresingly consolidated in the mid-West and other areas of 'super-farm' country, Vermont's family farms become increasingly threatened. This is true despite the fact that a number of studies have shown that locally produced crops, dairy products, and produce can get to market at a higher quality and lower cost than the they can from the super-farms. But, as more and more food heads for the processor before it reaches the consumer, the larger enterprises have a leg up: They can assure processors of quantities that the smaller farms can't easily approach. Unless and until there are more opportunities for local processing, and/or other crops that can bring more value per acre, the pressures on local farms will continue to mount. For additional info on the changes in the local economics of farming and other industries, you may also want to look at any of the following companion pieces in this month's DownStreet:
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