RUTLAND, Mass. - According to the American Farmland Trust, the United States is losing roughly 2,000 acres of farmland every day. 

They say in about 15 years, one-third of America's farm and ranch land will likely change hands, as current owners age and sell. 

In Massachusetts, one local farmer says their business is actively working to keep farmland for farming, and what’s at stake if too much land is lost. 

Ryan MacKay joined the farming industry 11 years ago, bought his first property in Holden a few years later and started Lilac Hedge Farm. They’re primarily a livestock farm, now operating on more than 500 acres of land across central Massachusetts. 

“It takes all of that a little bit more to feed the animals, but they aren’t making land,” MacKay said.  

MacKay recently bought 130 acres of farmland in Rutland.  

“I am itching to get over here with just a tractor and a brush hog and start getting some new growth in here,” he said. 

This expansion comes at a time when the average age of a farmer is rising, while the amount of farmland in the country is rapidly declining. In Massachusetts, MacKay said not only is access to land limited, the state has some of the highest farmland values in the country and it’s hard to find people to work. 

“It’s really tough to find farm labor, help in the packing house,” MacKay said. “Right now, we carry a staff of 50.” 

MacKay said breaking into the industry is especially tough for people like himself, who are first-generation farmers and there’s not as many opportunities as there used to be. 

“I remember when I was growing up, we had tours to the local farms and the local dairy and the produce farm and I got to learn about that, so I was a little immersed in it,” he said. “But I don’t think we have those opportunities quite as much as much anymore.” 

Ryan says his farm has diversified business to stay successful, delivering food to roughly 600 households and offering on-site experiences to visitors. But without enough farmers to keep up with demand, MacKay fears food production will no longer take place in the country. 

“We really kind of stand by knowing where your food comes from,” MacKay said. “That’s why we welcome people out to the farm, show them how things are raised, teach them how we and other farmers like ourselves in this area are able to raise good food to put on your plate.” 

MacKay said Massachusetts does offer an APR program that places an agricultural preservation restriction on land, meaning it must be used for farming. MacKay said the program was very helpful when he was first getting started.