Pioneer Region - Lake County Farm Bureau Preserving Farmland The Lake County Farmland Conservation Taskforce (LCFCT) continues to work toward preserving viable farmland in Lake County. Lake County Farm Bureau is working with the LCFCT to make sure this happens. The county Farm Bureau hosted LCFCT at its board meeting and will add farmland preservation displays to all of its county events. Once the nursery and rose capital of Ohio, Lake County farmers have seen more than 50 percent of the county’s agricultural land lost to development. In an effort to preserve the last viable agricultural lands, some Lake County farmland owners are applying to Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (AEPP) in hopes of being selected as finalists. If selected by ODA, farm owners will have the ability to sell their development rights while placing an agricultural easement on their respective farms. Agricultural easements preserve farmland and prevent any future development of their parcels. Lake County will have at least five farm owners applying in 2002. The Lake County Farmland Conservation Taskforce spent 2001 working with local government officials developing the Lake County Farmland Preservation Plan to allow county farmers to be eligible for the state's Agricultural Easement Purchase Program. With the farmland plan in place and officially adopted by county commissioners, farmers applying for the 2002 round of AEPP funding will have a good chance at becoming finalists. The LCFCT hopes to educate the farming and nonfarming population of the benefits of preserved agricultural lands. The goal is to provide current residents and future generations with a well-balanced community that includes viable agricultural lands. | |