Agriculture is crucial to Illinois and Indiana, generating tens of billions of dollars for both states' economies through marketing of commodities, food processing, product distribution, and farm machinery manufacturing. With 76,000 farms on more than 28 million acres of farmland in Illinois alone, hundreds of communities rely exclusively or largely on agricultural production for their economic health, while agricultural processing and manufacturing strengthen urban economies.

Farms close to urban areas produce most of a city's fresh foods—63 percent of dairy products and 86 percent of fruits and vegetables in the Chicago metropolitan region. Without nearby farmland, urban areas would not have access to locally grown food. Still, the demand for organic produce in Chicago is thirty times greater than the local supply, enabling farmers with small and mid-sized operations to remain profitable.

Unfortunately, some local governments prefer development of land over farmland protection because of additional tax revenue. However, this is a misconception—the costs of infrastructure for newly developed areas usually match or exceed the extra revenue.  Investing in farmland protection is a better strategy for maintaining a reasonable and balanced local tax base—working lands tend to generate more public revenues than they require in public services.  Profitability can also increase by integrating local food farming into local economic development strategies.

Local employment is one of the best reinvestments into the local economy, and nearly one million people are employed by the agricultural industry in Illinois alone. Additionally, the growing marketplace for locally grown and prepared foods supports the health of local economies. Farmers markets and CSAs, community supported agriculture, help connect farmers directly with consumers, including community members, chefs, and restauranters, and provides an important revenue stream for farmers and purveyors of locally produced food. As such, well-managed farmland is an irreplaceable economic asset that has sustained us for generations and can continue to do so for many more.