Ag census numbers reflect farm consolidation trend

Whitman County is the 22nd in the country for market value of grain products sold, according to the 2017 agricultural census conducted by the USDA National Statistics Service

Whitman County was ranked number one for the market value of grains in the state, and number two for pigs, sheep and goats.

The number of farms in Whitman County as of 2017 was 1,039, a decrease of 13 percent since 2012.

Although the number of farms decreased, the average size of the farms increased by 16 percent. The average size of a farm being 1,240 acres, according to the census.

The number of acres for farms in the c...