Farmland preservation
Through different government programs and policy enactments farmers are able to preserve their land for growing crops and raising livestock.
Farmland preservation efforts have been taking place across the United States, such as in Virginia, Minnesota, Maryland, Florida, and Connecticut.
Since its inception, the AFT has grown to be one of the largest farmland conservation groups in the nation boasting 7.1 million acres protected and $117 billion accrued through their efforts.
By adopting conservation minded practices, they believe in the long-term success of the farms promoting a healthy ecosystem and water table that also produces adequate amounts of crops for the growing world population.
In order to increase their visibility and community understanding within the region they plan on providing educational and recreational opportunities.
[1] ACEP can provide funds to different groups who want to preserve land such as non-profit organizations, local governments and Indian tribes.
[2] A transferable development rights program offers landowners financial incentives or bonuses for the conservation and maintenance of agricultural land.
The FPPA protects farmland from federal funded construction and other government projects that require the acquisition of property.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) trades a year rental payment to remove certain parts of the land in order for the soil to improve.
[12] In the face of suburban expansion and farming becoming less viable, the Ridgely family decided to sell the remaining property to the National Park Service.
[16] In 2023, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson helped secure $300 million in funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP).
[17] The program intends to provide funds easements for these farms, which in turn serve as a buffer to the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
[18] The Department of Agriculture released rankings of 257 farms and placed Trailhead Blue Springs at first, which is a 12,098 acre cow ranch.
[19] This ranch is also located within the Avon Park Air Force Range Sentinel Landscape, which covers nearly 1.7 million acres and homes parts of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area.
[22] After a 3-year application process, the town of Southington and the Farmland Preservation Program split the purchase of development rights to Karabin Farms in 2021.
