On Saturday, reporter Crystal Nelson brought us an analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm census from 2017, the most recent year data was available.

It wasn’t good news for the farming industry.

Because of low prices for many crops and some high costs for regulations, among other factors, the census showed Michigan lost 4,554 farms and 184,474 acres of farmland since 2012. Alpena County saw a decrease of 43 farms and 3,886 acres of farmland in that time. Alcona and Presque Isle counties also saw a decrease.

It wasn’t all bad news. In Montmorency County, for reasons that weren’t immediately clear, the number of farms increased by 17.9%, to 178 farms, and the amount of farmland increased by 1,762 acres, to 26,099 acres, in 2017.

But there were other clues pointing to bad news for the future of American farming. The average age of all producers in 2017 was 57.5, up from 56.3 in 2012, meaning more of our farmers are nearing retirement age, and there are fewer younger farmers coming up to replace them. The census also showed more farmers are having to leave their fields and take on other full- and part-time jobs to make ends meet.

Farmers are an important part of our nation and our region (agriculture accounted for 933 jobs in Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency and Alcona counties in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), and we encourage you to support your local farmers to help them stay with us.

We also encourage young people to give farming another look as they consider their careers. The industry may be hurting now, but there are ways to find success and the closer to your home your food is grown, the better.

We agree wholeheartedly with Marlo Johnson, director of the Great Lakes region for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, who told Nelson: “I appreciate and applaud the farmers who are hanging in there,” adding she often thinks about the future generations who are growing up. “You want to make sure that they have this and understand it and understand where our food comes from.”

(THE ALPENA NEWS)