The conversion of cornfields to subdivisions is a familiar phenomenon by now, as growth booms in ever-larger rings around Chicago.

It means new housing for growing families, increased tax revenues for local government. But what does it mean for farmers?

Will County is a good place to look for an answer. It is the second-fastest growing Illinois county, experiencing a 33 percent population increase from 2000 to 2006, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

So one might expect an outcry from the farming community over the loss of land.

"When I started at Will County I thought I was going to be the champion for the farming community, and the first angry phone call I got was from a farmer, (who) basically didn't want his farmland protected," said Ty Warner, a former planning director for the Will County Land Use Department.

But between the pressure from developers, and the hassle of urbanization, Will County is losing nearly 3,000 acres of farmland a year, Will County Farm Bureau manager Mark Schneidewind said.

And as more and more farmers sell their land, those who remain face the possibility of losing the infrastructure that makes their business viable. As veterinarians leave and supply stores close, the cost to keep up a farm is daunting compared with the money being offered by developers.

"There's definitely a few farmers out here that don't want to see the land developed, but the money has gotten so high that they can't say no," Will County farmer John Kiefner said. "My dad was traditionally one that generally said 'no,' but he did end up selling three years ago because the money got so ridiculous."

American Farmland Trust and other conservation organizations believe the best way to save farmland is through programs that purchase development rights. A landowner can sell his or her right to develop their land, giving them much needed cash and ensuring that the land will never become a subdivision.

Kane County is the only county in Illinois that has a funded development rights program. Through the program 3,848 acres have been protected since it started in 2001. But Kane County has the benefit of funding from a riverboat casino, an option that Will County doesn't have.

Even if Will County can find funding for a development rights program, Schneidewind said there are still too many unanswered questions about the long-term results of the program.

"The concern that our organization has here with the Will County Farm Bureau (is) once you do that (sell development right), do you give up your property rights as an individual?" Schneidewind said, questioning the impact of government intervention.