Michigan had a seven percent decline in farms from 2007 to 2012. The U-S Department of Agriculture's farm survey found nationwide a four percent decline. Overall Michigan declined from about 56,000 farms to just over 52,000 farms.
The amount of farmland however decreased by less than one-percent. Jay Johnson is the director of the Great Lakes Region of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Johnson sees some other positives from the survey for Michigan farmers. He notes a 51 percent increase in the market value of products sold. That's despite weather issues in 2012 that decimated Michigan's Apple and Cherry crops.
Johnson says the trend remains a decline in medium sized farms while the state gains large farms of over 500 acres.
— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.
