Review the indicators at a glance

America’s farmlands are part of a larger “farmland landscape,” a landscape they both define and are defined by. The farmland landscape includes fields and orchards, pastures and vineyards, which we refer to as “croplands.” It also includes the hedgerows, streams, ponds, wetlands, prairies, and woodlots that enliven an agricultural setting, as well as lands set aside under government programs. All over the nation, from the endless wheatfields of the Midwest to the picturesque dairy farms of Pennsylvania Dutch country to the avocado groves of California, the farmland landscape provides Americans, and the world, with an abundance of food and fiber, along with an image of beauty and order that figures large in the American imagination.

What can we say about the condition and use of U.S. farmlands?

Eighteen indicators describe the condition and use of farmlands in the United States. Full data are available for nine of these indicators, a larger percentage than for any other ecosystem type. Five of these nine have a long enough data record from which to judge trends, and three can be compared to a regulatory standard or similar benchmark. For six indicators, we report no data, and three measures require additional refinement or other development before data availability can be assessed.

After the following brief summaries of the findings and data availability for each indicator, the remainder of this chapter consists of the indicators themselves. Each indicator page offers a graphic representation of the available data, defines the indicator and explains why it is important, and describes either the available data or the gaps in those data.

System Dimensions

The goods and services that we obtain from farmlands depend on both the acreage of land producing crops and other farm products and the acreage and pattern of the forests, grasslands, and urban areas mixed within the farmland landscape. Four key indicators describe the dimensions of the farmland system.

• How much land is used directly for production of crops and livestock? Croplands, including pasture and haylands, cover between 445 and 500 million acres (estimates from different agencies vary), or about a quarter of the land area of the United States (excluding Alaska) in 1997. Cropland acreage has declined since the 1950s; by 2001, estimates from two sources ranged from 434 to 487 million acres. However, because official estimates vary, it is difficult to determine exactly how much farmland has been converted to other uses.
• How much of the farmland landscape is forest, grassland or shrubland, wetlands, or developed land? Some noncropland areas provide wildlife habitat or serve as streamside buffers or windbreaks, and all these areas add to the visual character of the farmland landscape. In all regions but the Midwest, croplands make up 50–60% of the farmland landscape; the remainder is forest, wetlands, or grasslands and shrublands. In the Midwest, croplands make up about 75% of the farmland landscape.
• How intermingled are croplands and urban and suburban development? Increased development in farming areas can interfere with traditional farming practices and may make farming economically unviable. For example, new residents are often opposed to long-standing farming practices like field application of manure, and rising property values, and property taxes, may drive farmers out of business. Data are not adequate for national reporting on this indicator.