Parishes with the most farmland in Louisiana
Farmland across the U.S. is disappearing by the millions of acres each decade by some estimates as sprawling urban development driven by rising housing costs pushes further into rural pastures.
The farmland that still exists in the U.S. is heavily dedicated to growing plants that Americans can't consume—grass. That grass, accounting for more than 300 million acres now, feeds our livestock, provides sod for new development, and serves as a cover crop to protect soil health between harvests.
Demand for major crops like corn and soybeans to feed Americans is only forecast by the USDA to grow in the coming decade, and demand for U.S. agricultural exports is expected to grow similarly.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way people purchased and consumed food, placing renewed attention on an increasingly consolidated agricultural industry where family farms have been swallowed up by large food corporations.
And after shifting behaviors caused massive economic swings in the U.S. and elsewhere, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced food producers to once again account for yet another shock with so much of the world's grain capital taken offline by warfare.
War and corporate interests aside, farms have also had to reckon with a changing climate. Wheat fields were once commonplace across the country, but drought conditions of late have caused farmers to give up growing the crop entirely. Agitated by climate change, the shortage of water in parts of the country coupled with higher interest rates and the ongoing war in Ukraine are making agricultural businesses harder to run profitably.
To illustrate where American farms still persevere, Stacker compiled a list of parishes with the most farmland in Louisiana using data from the Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency. Farmers reported the data as mandated by participation in USDA income support programs, including Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as well as loan assistance. Parishes are ranked by total acres of farmland.
In Louisiana, there are 4,404,479 acres of farmland, with common soybeans being the most common crop.
#25. Ouachita
- Farmland: 50,819 acres (1.2% of state total)
- Farms: 280
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (9,788 acres, 19.3% of county farmland)
#24. Red River
- Farmland: 53,182 acres (1.2% of state total)
- Farms: 206
- Most common crop: Common bermuda grass (28,599 acres, 53.8% of county farmland)
#23. St. Martin
- Farmland: 56,614 acres (1.3% of state total)
- Farms: 934
- Most common crop: Sugarcane (32,175 acres, 56.8% of county farmland)
#22. Iberville
- Farmland: 58,329 acres (1.3% of state total)
- Farms: 329
- Most common crop: Sugarcane (38,700 acres, 66.3% of county farmland)
#21. St. Mary
- Farmland: 63,686 acres (1.4% of state total)
- Farms: 559
- Most common crop: Sugarcane (46,019 acres, 72.3% of county farmland)
#20. Iberia
- Farmland: 76,129 acres (1.7% of state total)
- Farms: 1,127
- Most common crop: Sugarcane (56,496 acres, 74.2% of county farmland)
#19. Caddo
- Farmland: 80,025 acres (1.8% of state total)
- Farms: 305
- Most common crop: Common bermuda grass (16,326 acres, 20.4% of county farmland)
#18. Evangeline
- Farmland: 108,666 acres (2.5% of state total)
- Farms: 1,258
- Most common crop: Long grain rice (36,602 acres, 33.7% of county farmland)
#17. Natchitoches
- Farmland: 120,665 acres (2.7% of state total)
- Farms: 613
- Most common crop: Common bermuda grass (51,760 acres, 42.9% of county farmland)
#16. Rapides
- Farmland: 136,511 acres (3.1% of state total)
- Farms: 772
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (31,726 acres, 23.2% of county farmland)
#15. Pointe Coupee
- Farmland: 139,625 acres (3.2% of state total)
- Farms: 730
- Most common crop: Sugarcane (64,992 acres, 46.5% of county farmland)
#14. West Carroll
- Farmland: 140,468 acres (3.2% of state total)
- Farms: 1,194
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (42,178 acres, 30.0% of county farmland)
#13. Richland
- Farmland: 159,979 acres (3.6% of state total)
- Farms: 1,195
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (53,015 acres, 33.1% of county farmland)
#12. Catahoula
- Farmland: 169,949 acres (3.9% of state total)
- Farms: 621
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (47,738 acres, 28.1% of county farmland)
#11. Jefferson Davis
- Farmland: 172,232 acres (3.9% of state total)
- Farms: 872
- Most common crop: Crayfish crustacean (74,587 acres, 43.3% of county farmland)
#10. East Carroll
- Farmland: 185,833 acres (4.2% of state total)
- Farms: 578
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (95,432 acres, 51.4% of county farmland)
#9. Tensas
- Farmland: 198,777 acres (4.5% of state total)
- Farms: 600
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (34,205 acres, 17.2% of county farmland)
#8. Avoyelles
- Farmland: 202,724 acres (4.6% of state total)
- Farms: 2,064
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (65,167 acres, 32.1% of county farmland)
#7. St. Landry
- Farmland: 202,841 acres (4.6% of state total)
- Farms: 2,513
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (71,151 acres, 35.1% of county farmland)
#6. Concordia
- Farmland: 220,306 acres (5.0% of state total)
- Farms: 750
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (77,313 acres, 35.1% of county farmland)
#5. Morehouse
- Farmland: 222,011 acres (5.0% of state total)
- Farms: 988
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (97,994 acres, 44.1% of county farmland)
#4. Acadia
- Farmland: 227,052 acres (5.2% of state total)
- Farms: 1,851
- Most common crop: Crayfish crustacean (87,227 acres, 38.4% of county farmland)
#3. Madison
- Farmland: 229,330 acres (5.2% of state total)
- Farms: 761
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (80,046 acres, 34.9% of county farmland)
#2. Franklin
- Farmland: 246,510 acres (5.6% of state total)
- Farms: 1,923
- Most common crop: Common soybeans (68,532 acres, 27.8% of county farmland)
#1. Vermilion
- Farmland: 257,890 acres (5.9% of state total)
- Farms: 2,682
- Most common crop: Crayfish crustacean (61,031 acres, 23.7% of county farmland)
