Farmland preservation
Encyclopedia
Farmland preservation is a joint effort by non-governmental organization
s and local government
s to set aside and protect examples of a region's farmland for the use, education, and enjoyment of future generations. It is often a part of regional planning
and national historic preservation
.
passed the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964
to mitigate the loss of farmland to rapid suburban development
through the use of favorable tax assessments. But by the late 1970s, the value of farmland had outstripped the tax benefits of the act, so the state purchased deed
restrictions on farms through the Agriculture Retention and Development Act
of 1981.
Regional efforts in Monmouth County, New Jersey
include the Navesink Highlands
Greenway
, a project of the Monmouth County Farmland Preservation Program, which, along with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, purchased the development rights of the Holly Crest Farm in Middletown in September 2008 for US $2.5 million. Over 20 percent of county farmlands and open spaces are permanently preserved.
American Farmland Trust
was established in 1980 to preserve farmland and promote sustainable farming practices.
The Genesee Valley Conservancy
was founded in New York
in 1990.
is one approach used to manage protected farms.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s and local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
s to set aside and protect examples of a region's farmland for the use, education, and enjoyment of future generations. It is often a part of regional planning
Regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning...
and national historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
.
History
New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
passed the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964
Farmland Assessment Act of 1964
The Farmland Assessment Act of 1964 provided for reduced taxes on farmland in New Jersey in an effort to reduce the sale of farmland to developers for housing and commercial space.-History:...
to mitigate the loss of farmland to rapid suburban development
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
through the use of favorable tax assessments. But by the late 1970s, the value of farmland had outstripped the tax benefits of the act, so the state purchased deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
restrictions on farms through the Agriculture Retention and Development Act
Agriculture Retention and Development Act
The Agriculture Retention and Development Act of 1981 bought permanent deed restrictions on New Jersey farms so that they had to always remain as farms, and could never be sold for housing or for non-farming commercial development.-History:...
of 1981.
Regional efforts in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
include the Navesink Highlands
Navesink Highlands
The Navesink Highlands, sometimes referred to as the Highlands of Navesink and also known as the Atlantic Highlands, are a range of low hills and upland areas located along the United States Atlantic coast in New Jersey...
Greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
, a project of the Monmouth County Farmland Preservation Program, which, along with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, purchased the development rights of the Holly Crest Farm in Middletown in September 2008 for US $2.5 million. Over 20 percent of county farmlands and open spaces are permanently preserved.
American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust
The American Farmland Trust is an organization founded to preserve farmland and ranchland in the United States and to promote sustainable agricultural practices....
was established in 1980 to preserve farmland and promote sustainable farming practices.
The Genesee Valley Conservancy
Genesee Valley Conservancy
The Genesee Valley Conservancy is a non-profit land trust based in Geneseo, New York, in the United States working in the Genesee River watershed. Founded in 1990, GVC works "to protect the habitat, open space, and farmland of the Genesee Valley region." GVC has completed projects in Livingston,...
was founded in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1990.
Management of protected farmland
Conservation easementConservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
is one approach used to manage protected farms.
Partial list of preserved farms
- Elsing GreenElsing GreenElsing Green Plantation, a National Historic Landmark and wildlife refuge, rests upon nearly along the Pamunkey River in King William County, Virginia, a rural county on the western end of the state’s middle peninsula, approximately northeast of the City of Richmond. The 18th-century plantation,...
- Hampton National Historic SiteHampton National Historic SiteHampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
- Oatlands PlantationOatlands PlantationOatlands Plantation is an estate located in Leesburg, Virginia. Oatlands is operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark...
See also
- Agricultural Land ReserveAgricultural Land ReserveThe Agricultural Land Reserve is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled. In total, the ALR covers approximately and includes private and public lands...
- Development Supported AgricultureDevelopment Supported AgricultureDevelopment Supported Agriculture is a nascent movement in real estate development that preserves and invests in agricultural land use. As farmland is lost due to the challenging economics of farming and the pressures of the real estate industry, DSA attempts to reconcile the need for development...
- Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve ProgramEnvironmental Conservation Acreage Reserve ProgramThe Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program was a United States umbrella program authorized by the 1990 farm bill that includes the Conservation Reserve Program, and the Wetland Reserve Program. The 1996 farm bill The Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program (ECARP) was a...
- Preservation developmentPreservation developmentPreservation Development is a model of real estate development that addresses farmland preservation. It shares many attributes with conservation development, with the addition of strategies for maintaining and operating productive agriculture and silviculture, often in perpetuity...
- Sunderland, Massachusetts#Housing and development