Louis Wertz: How I discovered my ranchette dream is actually nature’s nightmare

New data released by American Farmland Trust (AFT) in “Farms Under Threat: The State of the States” is troubling me. AFT found that 11 million acres of agricultural land were paved over, fragmented or converted to uses that compromise agriculture from 2001-2016. The greatest threat to these vital acres, especially out west, is low-density residential development in rural regions; aka ranchette subdivisions.What’s most troubling about ranchettes is that I want one.I work as the