By AP/KWMU
Illinois – New census data show there are fewer farms in Illinois. Their numbers dropped by more than 6,000 from 1997 to 2002.
That also translate to more than 300,000 acres that have been lost as farmland in that time. However, there are still more than 27 million farmed acres in Illinois.
The director of the state's Department of Agriculture, Chuck Hartke, says he's not surprised by the results, saying the state has seen urban sprawl and consolidation of family farms.
The average size of a farm has been creeping upward for decades. In 2002, the average size was 375 acres, up from 350 acres in 1997 and 262 acres in 1974.