New Washington farmer Tony Webb with the first tractor he ever got. It has been with him through his whole farming journey and he still uses it to this day. Erik Hackman | News and Tribune
SOUTHERN INDIANA — Although Indiana ranks 38th in land mass among U.S. states at 35,870 square miles, it is the 9th largest farming state and the 7th largest exporter in the nation.
More than 80% of its land is farms, forests, wetlands and woodlands. The total economic footprint of agriculture was estimated by the Indiana Bureau of Business Research in a 2024 report to contribute more than $35.1 billion annually to the state’s economy.
The significance of Indiana’s agricultural base and rural life is not lost in this year’s gubernatorial election. The three candidates — Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican; Jennifer McCormick, a Democrat, and Donald Rainwater, a Libertarian — all have stated positions on what needs to be done to improve, protect and grow that base.
The 2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture, the most recent, found 437 farms in Clark County and 237 in Floyd. But, those numbers have declined each year as the two counties face a consistent loss of farmland.
The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported 10 fewer farms in Clark County than in 2017 but 328 fewer than in 1997, the first year the every-five year census was done.
There were 80,065 acres in farming, 8 fewer than in 2017 but 29,749 fewer than in 1997.
In neighboring Floyd County, the 2022 Census of Agriculture reported 257 farms, 12 more than in 2017 but 130 fewer than in 1997. Floyd is a much smaller county at 148.5 square miles than Clark at 372.90 and much of its land is in rolling acreage difficult to farm.
There are many reasons cited as the cause of falling numbers but frequently mentioned are:
• A steady increase in the population over 65 in this country, which is now pushing 25%. The average age of an Indiana farmer is now 56 and there isn’t always a next generation to take over the reins of the farm.
• Political infighting in Washington that has prevented the passage of the Farm Bill, which is a multiyear law that governs a variety of programs that impact farming, food, and the environment.
• The way in which property taxes for agricultural lands are handled throughout counties.
“The farm bill is a critical tool for ensuring our nation’s food supply remains secure. Funding for this comprehensive package, which could more accurately be called a food and farm bill, includes risk management tools for farmers, access to nutrition for low-income families, conservation programs and investments in agricultural research,” the American Farm Bureau said in a statement earlier this year.
“No one buys insurance for the good times, and similarly, Farm Bill programs provide critical tools to help farmers and ranchers manage risk.“ The 2018 Farm Bill expired in 2023, was extended to 2024 and now is awaiting action after the election.
As more farms are sold, farmland becomes more costly.
Todd Kuethe, a Purdue University professor in Farmland Economics, wrote earlier this year that “Statewide farmland prices once again hit a new record in 2024, according to the recent Purdue Farmland Value and Cash Rent Survey.
“The average price of topquality farmland is $14,392, up 4.8% from June 2023. Average and poor-quality farmland also hit new highs at $11,630 and $9,071 per acre, with an annual increase of 3.7% and 4.4%, respectively. Survey respondents suggest that this price growth principally occurred during the second half of 2023, with prices retreating a bit in the first half of 2024,” he said.
“Several survey respondents note the influence of large-scale public or private land development projects in their area. One respondent notes that “production agriculture cannot compete with those economic forces,” and other respondents mention that farmers who sell their land to develop typically “reinvest” in farmland….”
WHAT THE FARMERS SAY
Who are today’s famers? They are individuals engaged in many different ways of making a living using the land. For the last few years, the News and Tribune has periodically run stories called Thank A Farmer. Here is a look at a few of those farmers and what they see: Levi Herrington, 20, is a college student and a farmer with 100 acres that has been in his family in Floyds Knobs for generations. About 20 of those acres are tillable.
He told the News and Tribune he does not see many young people in the area going into agriculture, and the median age of farmers is “getting pretty high.
“But I believe that farming is a very important thing in the world,” he said. “We need farmers. The world needs farmers, and I kind of see it as an honor to be able to do this and have the want to do this.”
Tony Webb, the owner of Bull Creek Farms in New Washington, is a third-generation farmer, who raises calves and cattle and sells freezer beef from them. He also grows and sells his own hay and grows crops like corn and beans. He sees the margins of farming as thin.
Webb encourages anyone wanting to go into the business to find a niche market.
“Grow within your means, don’t try to grow too fast,” Webb said. “It’s very easy to get caught up because everyone wants to have the new and greatest technology. It takes time to get there and to make that pay for it.”
In Marysville, Dale Brown, 76, has no plans to do anything other than what he has done throughout his life.
Dale and his wife, Eunice, have seen the changes in Southern Indiana over the years, the good and the bad. Farmland is regularly turning into subdivisions and developments, which the couple agreed have their place. They just hope that farming isn’t thrown by the wayside in the name of what some would define as progress.
“As long as I’m able to crawl on a tractor, I’m going to keep doing it,” Dale said. “I couldn’t picture any other way of life.”
FARMING AND THE GOVERNOR’S RACE
Information posted by the campaigns details some of their approach to agriculture.
Braun’s agenda proposes the following solutions for farmers and rural Hoosiers: Improve customer service for farmers — establish a one-stop online portal to simplify access to funding, market opportunities, technical support, and regulatory updates — ensuring Hoosier farmers get the help they need quickly and efficiently.
Tax relief that protects family farms — provide historic property tax relief by capping annual increases, fixing the referendum process, and modernizing how farmland is valued to reflect the realities of today’s farm economy.
Target economic development to rural communities — ensure economic development dollars flow to rural communities with full transparency and accountability, so that small towns can grow and thrive.
Build out reliable connectivity — introduce a matching grant program for broadband expansion to ensure every Hoosier, no matter where they live, has access to high-speed internet — a necessity for both families and modern agriculture.
Protect Hoosier farmland — protect Indiana’s farmland from foreign adversaries by enforcing divestment rules, increasing transparency, and working with the General Assembly to monitor emerging threats.
McCormick’s approach to “revitalize rural Indiana” was written by Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Terry Goodin. He criticized Braun for not supporting the Farm Bill.
“This bill is not just a piece of legislation; it directly affects the daily lives of our farmers — farmers across Indiana stuck with outdated reference prices and shrinking markets,” Goodin said, adding that Braun and GOP Lt. Gov. candidate Micah Beckwith don’t “understand rural Indiana’s realities.”
Goodin said the Democratic strategy would include working with Indiana’s Congressional delegation to pass a new farm bill. Expanding broadband access for rural Indiana would also be a top priority for a McCormick-Goodin administration, he said. “Lack of broadband access means farmers can’t do their work, students struggle to complete homework, and businesses cannot compete in the digital economy. By expanding broadband, we will empower rural communities to grow and thrive in the 21st Century,” Goodin said.
He added their plan includes addressing mental and medical health care deserts in rural Indiana.
Rainwater, the Libertarian candidate, has proposed a plan titled Reforming and Reducing Residential and Agricultural Property Tax.
He’s proposing, in his own words: Residential property tax cap: I will advocate for an amendment to the state’s Constitution that establishes a true cap on all residential and privately-owned agricultural property taxes. Specifically, this cap would limit property taxes to 1% of the purchase price of the property or the assessed value, whichever is lower. This measure aims to provide relief to homeowners while ensuring a fair and predictable tax burden.
Additionally, the property tax on all residential, long-term care, and agricultural land would sunset after you paid a total of 1% of the purchase price or the assessed value, whichever is lower, for 7 years, allowing homeowners and family farmers stability and predictability, after which no additional property taxes would be due.
All residential, long-term care, and agricultural land, currently capped at 1% or 2%, would be capped at 1% of the purchase price of the property or the assessed value, whichever is lower. All other commercial property, currently capped at 3%, would be capped at 2% of the purchase price of the property or the assessed value, whichever is lower.
Property acquired through inheritance would not be subject to property tax. Only property acquired by a real estate sale transaction.
If you sell your property prior to owning the property for 7 years, you would not owe the remaining property tax on that property when it is sold. The new owners would start over with their 7 years of property taxes.
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