Mason County harvested 24,000 more crop acres in 2017 than in 1974, although the total farmland available shrank.
USDA records show – corn acres harvested increased to 8,400 in 2021 from only 4,500 in 2000.
Mason County’s Soybean harvest exploded to 11,100 acres in 2021 from only 900 acres in 2000. This 10,200 acres increase in soybeans is particularly troubling because soybeans cause a higher rate of soil erosion than corn or almost any other crop
The erosion damage these added row crop acres are causing becomes more clear when we compare 20004 aerial views to those of 2020.
Aerial Maps available at https://kygeonet.ky.gov/StoryMaps/KyNAIPImagery/
2004 – Washington Area – 2020
2004 – May’s Lick Area – 2020
Current zoning regulations force cash grain instead of allowing sod under solar. When will Mason County opt to stop losing irreplaceable topsoil? Do you care enough to speak up for changes to protect our topsoil and increase our local tax base?