FARMLAND IS VALUABLE
            Gold and brown is spreading over the corn and soybean fields around us. Only a few months ago farmers invested money and time to plant seeds in expectation of a profitable harvest. Dependent on the sunshine and the right amount of rain – enough at the right time and not too much – farmers realize the return on their investments as the crops are harvested and sent to market. Many factors over which farmers have no control determine the profit.
The farmland in our nation and Stephenson County benefits us all.

• Farmland provides a food supply for our nation at a reasonable cost. Nationwide, on the average, one farmer feeds 144 people. Corn and soybeans contribute oils, sugars, and starches to many processed foods. In Stephenson County there are 1075 farms producing over $124 million worth of farm products.
• Farmland supports renewable resources for producing energy. One bushel of corn produces 2.8 gallons of ethanol. Stephenson County produces about 21.7 million bushels each year.
• Farmland furnishes raw materials for a broad variety of manufactured goods, such as: biodegradable packing peanuts, tires, crayons, moisturizing lotion, glass and surface cleaners, hand sanitizers, boxes, biodegradable plastic bags, candles, paint, lubricants, industrial solvents, adhesives, inks, waxes, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, matches, cosmetics, insecticides, and floor waxes.
• Farmland creates jobs for farm families, rural residents, and others in agricultural related industries.
• Farmland enhances the environment. Conservation practices, applied with assistance from Soil and Water Conservation Districts and USDA Programs, recharge underground aquifers and reduce flooding by storing and absorbing storm water runoff. In Stephenson County there are 809 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts with 10,129 acres enrolled. Many species of wildlife benefit from cover and food provided by CRP and farmland preserved as natural areas.
• Farmland allows for open space that contributes to the quality of life in developing areas, and also helps to dissipate noise and reduce air pollution. In Stephenson County there are 363,520 total acres of land of which 89 percent are farmland.
• Farmland acts as a buffer against competing land uses contributing to the quality and biological integrity of sensitive natural areas.
• Farmland contributes to the county’s tax base by providing tax revenues in excess of what is needed to support government services to farms. In Stephenson County, agriculture is the leading industry generating $167 million of revenue.

            We can make preserving farmland and protecting the livelihood of farmers a high priority as we seek to develop the land around us for other economic opportunities. Stephenson County has a carefully mapped out land-use plan that can help us preserve our valuable farmland.
Information in this article was gathered by Deb Koch, Administrative Coordinator of the Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, from statistics reported on the Farm Bureau Website.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 09/12/07 (for publication on 09/15/07 in the Journal-Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org