The Fragmenting Countryside and the Challenge of Retaining Agricultural Land: The Vermont Case

Many rural areas in the United States and Europe have been changing from agricultural landscapes to a mix of farm and nonagricultural uses. The fragmentation of agricultural land reflects the higher value of nonagricultural uses but may pose a threat to agricultural operations. Vermont, a rural state, has tried to slow the loss and fragmentation of farmland. Agricultural census and land parcel data are analyzed to identify what are the supply and demand factors of fragmentation, what are the pros and cons of fragmentation, and have Vermont’s efforts to regulate development and sustain farming slowed the conversion and fragmentation of farmland? The amount of Vermont farmland has declined sharply since 1959 and a considerable amount of rural land has been fragmented into lots that have limited value for dairy production, the state’s primary agricultural industry. Vermont’s farmland preservation programs appear to have had some success in slowing farmland loss after 2002. However, the economics of farming will continue to challenge the viability of agricultural operations.

欧美众多乡村区域正从单一农业景观转变为农业与非农业用地混合的格局。农业用地碎片化现象，既体现了非农业用途的更高经济价值，也可能对农业生产运营构成威胁。作为乡村州的佛蒙特州（Vermont）已着手减缓农田流失与碎片化进程。本研究通过分析农业普查数据与土地地块数据，旨在明确农田碎片化的供需驱动因素、碎片化的利弊影响，并评估佛蒙特州为规范开发、维持农业发展所采取的举措是否延缓了农田转化与碎片化进程。自1959年以来，佛蒙特州农田面积大幅缩减，且大量乡村土地被分割为细碎地块，这些地块对该州主导农业产业——乳业生产的利用价值极为有限。佛蒙特州的农田保护计划似乎在2002年后取得了一定成效，有效减缓了农田流失速度。但农业经营的经济压力仍将持续挑战农业生产的存续能力。