Preserve Your Farm

What is an Agricultural Conservation Easement?

• An agricultural conservation easement is a deed restriction landowners voluntarily place on their property to prohibit any land use other than for agricultural land uses. It will allow the land to remain in agriculture in perpetuity.  

• Agricultural conservation easements are used by landowners to authorize a qualified conservation organization to monitor and enforce the restrictions set forth in the agreement. 

• Agricultural conservation easements are designed to keep land available for farming.

Why is it important to Preserve Farmland?

• To assure affordable and accessible food supplies.

• To encourage soil and water conservation and to ensure a natural ground water recharge.

• To keep demand for public services and the taxes needed to support them lower.

• To preserve the culture and heritage associated with the farming community.

• To help preserve and save open space, the aesthetics and the quality of life that we all want to continue to enjoy.

Eligibility Requirements:  

To Qualify for the ACE Program, the Farm Must:

• Be located in an Agricultural Security Area.

• Contain at least 50% of soils which are available for agricultural production and are of capability classes I-IV. 

• Contain 50% harvested crop land, pasture lands or grazing lands. 

• Must be at least 50 contiguous acres in size, 25 acres for a County only purchase, or a minimum of 10 acres of a unique crop, or 10 contiguous acres with an attached perpetual agricultural conservation easement.

How Farms Are Chosen For Easement Purchase:

• Farmland Preservation is a voluntary program. Any landowner meeting the minimum criteria is eligible to apply to the program. 
• The farm is ranked according to the Land Evaluation Site Assessment (LESA) program. The LESA program considers four factors: soils, farmland potential, development potential, and clustering potential.  
• Provided funds are available, the farms that score the highest are chosen for easement purchase.  
• The quantity of farms selected is dependent upon the amount of funding available for each year.