Recently there has been a stir in the small and sustainable farming communities. According to the USDA's 2007 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms is again on the rise. Since the end of World War II, the number of farms in the US have been decreasing.What this seems to indicate is that the number of small farms is growing. Actually, most of the hard numbers do seem to bear this out.
There are quite a few online articles about this trend: Hobby farms gaining popularity in Eau Claire County; USDA's latest census shows growing diversity; and U.S. farm growth fueled by small operations -USDA.
If the number of small farms are honestly increasing, that can only mean good things for bio-diversity, local economies and general sustainability.
On the other side, some question whether the USDA's census numbers are correct. This article in The Grist brings a few issues to light.
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