The farm economy has a significant impact on the overall Attica, Fountain County, and Indiana economies at large. In 1997 there were a total of 550 farms in the County covering just over 200,000 acres, 80% of the total county. Just a decade earlier in 1997, farmland covered nearly 93% of the state, implying that about 3,000 acres are taken out of production each year. This amounts to about a 13% loss in Fountain County, compared with a 7% loss statewide. However, the American Farmland Trust rates the entire county as "high quality & low development," in terms of its farmland. Agricultural land prices increased between 1987 and 1997 in both the State and County. In 1997 the average value of an acre of farmland in Fountain County was $1,882. Increasing land prices make it more expensive to convert farmland into urban use, but at the same time increase the production costs for farmers.	Figure 1.19: Amount of land in farms, 1987 to 1997.
	Figure 1.20: Agricultural land values, 1987 to 1997.
The average net farm return in 1997 was just under $25,000 in Fountain County and just over $20,000 in Indiana. Between 1987 and 1997 the County consistently had higher net cash returns than the State. However, in 1997 nearly 43% of all farms suffered a net loss in the County, very near the state average of 46%. Because the average profit is higher than average but almost half of all farms suffer a loss, this suggests a strong dichotomy in farm earnings.	Figure 1.21: Number of farms producing an annual net loss, 1987 to 1997.