Marion County should protect a unique resource: its horse farms
Busy Shires
The month of April has been designated as Farmland Preservation Month by the Marion County Commission. There are over 1,200 horse farms in Marion County and the mineral rich soil is the perfect grazing land for horses.
As a result, the county has one of the largest horse populations in the United States with over 80,000 horses. That’s one horse for every four people! With the opening of the World Equestrian Center, the number of horses in Marion County will only continue to grow.
Along with the growth of the horse industry, Marion County was one only six counties in the nation that had positive job growth during the pandemic. Projects are underway to add 5 million square feet of industrial and warehouse space over the next few years. And where there are jobs, there must be housing to support the growing workforce.