The average age of a LV farmer is 58, with over a third over 65.
The number of farms a decreased from 1,002 in 2007 to just 823 today.
Land development pressure has made it difficult for new farmers to buy land.
Lehigh and NorCo have preserved 683 farms totaling 48,448 acres.
Corn and soybeans make up 56% of all farmland production.
Vegetables and fruit orchards produced $18.1 million in 2022 and are now down to just 3,000 acres.
Vegetable and fruit orchards have declined 50% since 1997.
Most farms are small, making less than $10,000 a year.
Total agricultural sales in the Lehigh Valley in 2022 was $156 million.
What prevents most farm products from reaching our tables is a lack of distributors, processors and wholesale buyers.
If farmers switched from corn to organic wheat, they would get $18 a bushel instead of $3 a bushel.
Municipalities could change zoning laws to require developers to set aside a portion of every new development for agricultural use. These are called agrihoods.
County-owned lands could be subdivided for new farmers at an affordable price.
Later in the evening, NorCo Council voted to award "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" a grant of $20,000.
This organization is funded in part by NorCo hotel tax grants.
Its 2026 Food System report is located here.
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