As the nation, and the world, became more industrialized many people left the family farm to take jobs in the cities. Today, agriculture is still an important Pennsylvania industry, but over the last 30 years the nature of farming has changed. For example, there are fewer family farms and acreage available for farming. As a result, more animals are being raised on less land in the agricultural community this trend is known as an intensive livestock operation. Many poultry and hog farmers run intensive livestock operations.
Agricultural areas are important for a healthy environment.
Private farmlands, for instance, support the majority of the state s wildlife habitat. The open space provided by farmland supports aquifer recharge, allowing rain and snowmelt to percolate through the soil and renew groundwater supplies. One of today s major issues is how to keep valuable agricultural areas competitive with other land uses. As communities grow and people relocate outside of urban areas, farmland, with its well-drained and flat acreage, is often targeted for development. For a number of reasons, farmers often find it more profitable to sell their land than continue farming.