Statehouse — A bill sponsored by State. Sen Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) that would survey how much farmland Indiana has lost passed the Senate this week.
House Enrolled Act 1557 would direct the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to conduct an inventory of lost farmland in Indiana from 2010 to 2022 and create a statewide report for stakeholders to track farmland depletion trends and the causes of those trends.
“Indiana is the eighth largest farming state in the nation and contributes an estimated $31 billion to the state’s economy,” Leising said. “If we are going to continue to be a leading exporter of agricultural goods, the state must take stock of the land we have and work to protect Indiana farmland moving forward.”
To learn more about the bill, visit iga.in.gov.
(State Senator Jean Leising press release)
