BANGOR, Maine - U.S. census figures indicate Maine lost 10 percent of farmland and 573 farms in the five years ending in 2017.The Bangor Daily News reports that the census figures released last month show a 15.8 percent decline in average net income per farm.
Ellen Sabina, from of the Maine Farmland Trust, said the statistics are alarming. She said it's time to support farms now, "before it's too late.''
There was some good news.
The numbers of small farms - 1 to 9 acres in size - increased slightly as did the number of farms that are larger than 2,000 acres. The census data also shows a 53 percent increase in the value of food sold directly to consumers, such as at farmer's markets.