Facts and Links

• Cattle can be good for watersheds. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/05/050303.htm
• New York State is losing 9,000 Acres of farmland per year.  That`s about 2 farms per week. newyork.farmland.org
• New York State lost 23% of dairy farms the five years between 2007 - 2011. http://ithacasfoodweb.blogspot.com/2011/04/dairy-prices-rise-farmers-struggle.html
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/14/142305869/newbie-farmers-find-that-dirt-isnt-cheap
• In 1940, one farmer fed 19 people, in 2010, one farmer feeds 155 people.  High Plains Journal, March 11, 2011 http://www.hpj.com/
• "The average American is now more than three generations removed from the farm." http://www.jdsupra.com/documents/389d65de-2aa5-4651-a944-8df396a24de5.pdf
• Beginning farmers today are predominantly young (under 30) and do not all come from farm families. http://www.beginningfarmers.org/ , http://www.youngfarmers.org/reports/Building_A_Future_With_Farmers.pdf