Farm owners join to protect their land

The combined acreage
must remain free from
commercial development
for 10 years.

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio (AP) — Eight farm owners have joined forces to protect their land from commercial development, forming the largest single tract of acreage under an Ohio program designed to preserve farmland.

The 1,492-acre tract nearly doubles western Ohio’s Logan County farmland in the Agricultural Security Area program — now 2,884 acres — and increases the statewide acreage to 11,497.

The previous single largest tract was 1,332 acres in nearby Clark County, which with 5,274 has the most protected acres of any county.

The program, which began in 2005, is a voluntary agreement between landowners and elected officials in which property remains in agricultural use and free from commercial development for 10 years.

“It gets people who are interested in preserving their farmland into that first step to make sure that is what they want to do,” Mark Forni, executive director of the Farmland Preservation Office, said Wednesday.

Program manager Kristen Jensen said more farmers are joining together to get combined acreage into the program.

Renee Winner, whose family farm had portions in Logan County’s first protected tract and as well as the newest one, said participating in the program is a way to show that agriculture is an important industry.

“There is a place for development, but there should be wise choices,” Winner said. “When you get houses in agriculture areas, they may not be familiar with practices that are common in agriculture. This is a positive way of saying we would like to see agricultural lands preserved.”

Nevin Smith, a first-time participant in the program, said developers bought land east of his property and he wants to make sure his farm land is preserved.

State Rep. Tony Core, R-Rushsylvania, who helped pass legislation that created the program, said lawmakers wanted a reasonable middle ground for farmers who wanted to protect their land without requiring a permanent commitment. Core said farmers who choose to do so can get permanent protection after 10 years.

“The good thing about it is it’s another tool to curb sprawl,” said Doug Ritchey, president of the Logan County Land Trust.

Farmers also can enroll in a land trust program that grants a permanent agricultural easement to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Logan County Commissioner John Bayliss said the county is finally starting to reap the benefits of the agricultural security program.

“We began discussing this 10 years ago, and we’ve come a long way,” Bayliss said.