The agribusiness sector of the Lawrence County economy is perceived by the local population as an important driver of business activity, and while the ag economy in Lawrence County is of greater relevance that agriculture is to the national economy, ag has less importance than it has held in previous years.
The ag economy in Lawrence accounts for 0.9% of the local GDP, slightly more that the national average of 0.8%, and the sector’s employment constituents 2.2% of total county employment, higher than then national average of 1.3%. But employment in agriculture has been declining faster in Lawrence County than nationally, with an average annual decline of 1.4% versus a national average steady employment rate that has only declined by 0.1% annually over the same decade. Agriculture is not listed as one of the top ten local economic sectors when measured by employment.
Lawrence County’s rolling topography leaves the county, like many of its southern Indiana neighbors, better suited to animal production than crop production. The resulting pattern of land use and employment in Lawrence County is a large number of farmers who raise some livestock as a secondary form of employment while also holding employment in other sectors of the economy. This secondary employment role is reflected in the average wages per worker that are recorded for Lawrence County, $15,858 versus the national average of $43,444. But overall average annual wages, including non-ag wages, is much higher, averaging $58,100 for farmers and ranchers, for example.
The topography’s suitability for livestock who can go to pasture on the rolling hillsides versus the flatter landscape needed for row crops is reflected in the decline in employment in crop production, which has shrunk by an annual average of greater than 9% locally, while remaining stable nationally.
Nonetheless, the presence of so many small farmers helps to provide a location quotient of 1.6, meaning that Lawrence County 160% of the national average expected employment in agriculture, and a whopping 92% of those in the ag sector identify as self-employed regarding their agricultural activities. And both the animal production and crop production employment, when measured by employment, shows a far greater concentration than the national average, with both sectors holding location quotients near 3.9.
The ag sector remains entrenched in Lawrence County and will continue to provide both a vital source of employment and wages for many families while also contributing to the local community’s sense of attachment to agriculture. The recent opening of a local butcher shop in Bedford that retails locally-raised beef is proof of the connections that remain strong and steadfast.