Small farms are gowing everywhere!

MUNCIE, Ind. - Rising consumer demand for locally grown, organic produce is fueling a surge in the number of small Indiana farms, boosting their numbers nearly 80 percent over five years, a new farm census report shows.

The number of Indiana farms under 10 acres soared from 5,436 in 2002 to 9,720 in 2007 -- a 79 percent increase -- said Greg Preston, director of the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service.

"It's skyrocketing. We are getting a lot of newer farmers coming in that are smaller -- going into direct marketing, specialty products, organics, locally grown, this type of stuff," Preston told The Star Press.

For the ag census, taken every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products are produced and sold.


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