How rapidly is farmland being converted to nonfarm use in the ...

[mckennatimberlake]

How rapidly is farmland being converted to nonfarm use in the United States?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Why is prime farmland so often converted to nonfarm use?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 3

What is the total land area of the United States? Of that, how much land is currently being used for crop production?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[fwbard]

Answer to Question 1

Each year, 1 million acres of prime farmland and 2 million acres of lesser-quality farmland are taken for nonfarm
use. That works out to about 4 square miles of prime farmland and 8 square miles of marginal farmland lost each
dayor about 960 total acres per hour.

Answer to Question 2

The best land for farming is often also the best land for housing, industrial, and commercial development

Answer to Question 3

There are about 2.3 billion acres of land in the United States. Of that, only about 385 million acres are planted
to crops each year.