Tennessee is losing 200 acres of farmland a day, that’s according to a new UT study and this comes as more people are moving here with housing developments taking up some of that land.

In Knox County more than 5,000 residential permits were approved in 2023, that was a record high.

The increased demand for housing, some have decided to sell their land and it’s not just East Tennessee seeing that trend.

Charley Martinez with University of Tennessee Agriculture department says Middle Tennessee is seeing the highest amount of loss of farmland.

Again, Tennessee has lost more than 200 acres of farmland each day since 2017.

That is according to data gathered by the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture. It’s a statistic that prompted the state to use $2 million to fund a local planning agency from the Institute of Public Service which works with state and local governments, manufacturers and law enforcement to provide training and consulting about Tennessee’s rapidly growing need to plan for an increased population.

Researchers say at some point if more farmland continues to disappear, we’re going to eventually see that impact at the grocery store. They say you may be seeing it already when it comes to buying beef.

Before Governor Bill Haslam closed them in 2011, state planning offices were operated by the state’s economic and community development department. Prompted by an increase in development across the state, in 2022 and 2023, the department of agriculture asked UT to start collecting data on farmland loss.

The planning agency’s mission will be to work with cities, counties and regions to update their long-term growth plans with preserving rural land in mind.