 | Imagine that you live on a farm in the country and you have invited your cousin from the city to come for a visit to your farm. Write a letter to your cousin to describe what happens on a family farm so he or she will know what to pack! If you haven't had a chance to learn all about family farming in Farm School yet, do the best you can. When you have spent a lot of time in Farm School, try writing a letter again to your cousin. Are your two letters very different? What things did you learn about family farming that you didn't know when you started? If you already know a lot about family farming then writing this letter should be as easy as milking a cow! |
| The visit was a success! Your cousin had so much fun working with you in the fields and with the animals that he/she wants to return for another visit. Your cousin wants to know more about what the life of a farmer is like. You want to tell a little about what has been happening in agriculture over the last twenty-five years to give him/her a little better understanding of family farming. |
| Year | 1970 | 1980 | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 |
| Number of farms | 1,596 | 1,358 | 1,260 | 1,130 | 1,120 |
| Year | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 |
| Ave. farm size (acres) | 193 | 202 | 204 |
The Grassbaugh Family is a farm family in Knox County who has noticed the trend of changing farm size. Kathy Grassbaugh, a dairy farmer from Howard Township, feels that a part of the expansion of their operation has been as a result from outside pressure.
| "I don't like the idea of getting bigger and bigger. I guess I like the point we used to be at. I don't even like it that we have gotten this big [nearly one thousand acres and one hundred head of Holstein cows]. It is almost like the fun of doing some of the things has been taken out because you are under so much pressure." |
As the size of operations increases, many farmers feel their farms are becoming more business-like. Kathy's husband, Dale, feels this is true.
| "You've got to look at farming from a business aspect now. Definitely there is still a trend, a way of life, part of farming but you have got to make decisions and they have to be business decisions." |
