Since 1940 about 17 million acres of our flattest and most fertile farmlands have been converted to nonagricultural uses. In another 15 years, about 100 million acres that are now tilled will have been converted. But the dire effects of urbanization on farm production have been exaggerated, as a great number of these converted acres should never have been in farms. Urban growth helps agriculture balance production, allocate productive resources, and get the use of land in balance with modern needs.