EDWARDS, Ill.  — Illinois agriculture officials say the number of farms in the state is going down, but the remaining operations are growing bigger as aging farmers struggle to find successors.

The Journal Star and the Associated Press reports that the Illinois Farm Bureau says the state has 71,000 farms, down from 241,000 farms a century ago.

Ross Pauli has an 800-acre farm in Edwards. He says succession is a major issue for older farmers.