Rutherford County, TN - Not long ago you didn’t drive far and run into a working dairy cattle, beef, soy beans, or cotton farm. This was a prosperous agricultural area. However, in recent years farms are being sold and developed into subdivisions, massive shopping centers, warehouses and more. They are becoming only memories.
Instead, we are growing “people” and some sources place this area as the 15th fastest growing community in the United States. That has a direct correlation to farms.
According to a new study by Trace One, between 2014 and 2023, Rutherford County lost 22,044 acres of farmland. This makes it one of the top three counties in Tennessee losing the most farmland. With some developers being willing to pay $40,000 per acre, farmland could drop even more.
Perhaps you have seen comments about PlanRutherford and did not know its purpose.
Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr explained, “A comprehensive plan offers an all-inclusive approach to analyzing and evaluating future growth and provides residents the opportunity to work with county leaders to determine how to ensure continued prosperity and protect the quality of life for Rutherford County. Through this process, we will capture the vision of the community as it continues to grow and evolve.”
However, a group of local preservationists believe differently. They are holding town hall meetings, interactive exhibits, and presentations with a goal of protecting rural spaces.
The Trace One study notes that it’s not just development that’s killing farms, natural hazards are the new grim reaper to agriculture.
California leads the nation in agricultural losses due to natural hazards, with farms in the state incurring an estimated $1.2 billion in losses annually. This figure dwarfs losses in other states, with drought being the most significant hazard affecting California’s vast agricultural sector. On a per-farm basis, California reports an average loss of $19,734—the highest of any state—reflecting its reliance on high-value crops such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables, which are particularly vulnerable to water shortages.
By comparison, Texas, which ranks second, faces an expected annual loss of $199 million, with droughts again being the primary driver. Iowa, North Carolina, and Florida round out the top five, each suffering from a combination of droughts and hurricanes, though with lower total and per-farm losses than California.
The Trace One study reports that in Tennessee, farms lose $9.3M per year to natural hazards. The worst type of natural hazard for Tennessee agriculture is drought, which can limit water availability, reduce crop yields, and challenge livestock production.
Especially here in Rutherford County, a mix of natural disasters and development are changing the local scenery. That's clearly seen in the 8.3 per cent population explosion in Murfreesboro that had an estimated population near 170,000 in 2023. Rutherford County estimates show 380,000 persons. More surprisingly are forecasts placing Rutherford County the third largest county in Tennessee by 2050, only Davidson and Shelby would be larger.
Here is a summary of the data for Tennessee:
- Total expected annual loss: $9,278,893
- Expected annual loss per farm: $147
- Expected annual loss rate: 0.19%
- Total farms: 63,105
- Total agriculture value: $4,778,712,744
- Worst natural hazard for agriculture: Drought
WGNS seeks the public’s thoughts on PlanRutherford. Please make them in the “comments” section, if you are reading this on FaceBook. You can also email them to news@wgnsradio.com.
