(Indianapolis, IN) - State lawmakers want to know exactly how much farm land has been lost in Indiana over the past decade or so.

 

The Senate has voted 47-2 to send House Enrolled Act 1557 to the governor to be signed into law. The measure was previously supported unanimously in the House.

 

The bill directs the Indiana Department of Agriculture to conduct an inventory of all farm land lost in the state from 2010 to 2022 and list the primary reasons it was taken out of food production.

 

The findings along with any recommendations or potential legislation designed to stop future losses must be submitted to the General Assembly by July 1 of next year. According to supporters of the measure, the report should also shed light on whether food security has been jeopardized in any sort of way from overdevelopment.

 

The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Kendell Culp of Rensselaer. His district includes a portion of Starke County.

 

State Senator Mike Bohacek of Michiana Shores said the bill was probably not the result of any future food shortage alarm bells going off. Bohacek said the measure likely stems from simply wanting to know if there’s a need to respond since he doesn’t believe such a farm land inventory has ever been taken in the state. 

 

“We just want to see what’s going on,” he said.

 

Bohacek also said he’s especially curious to find out how much farmland has been lost from development of wind and solar farms because of the continued push toward producing clean, renewable energy.

 

The governor must sign the legislation for the inventory to be taken.