Aren some of the Amish leaving the county and selling their land to developers?
The County’s Growth Tracking System indicates that farmland is indeed being sold and developed for more intensive uses. At the same time, the Amish population has grown, doubling each decade in the past 30 years. These trends have caused the demand and price of farmland to climb to roughly $5,000 to $7,000 an acre. Part of the demand for land within the Amish community has been met by Amish families buying land from Mennonite farmers who are increasingly pursuing other business enterprises. In some cases, Amish farmers have also developed other non-farming income opportunities on the farm. However, members of the Old Order Communities have reported that some families are leaving the area to find less expensive farmland still available in places like Kentucky and Wisconsin.
