Ohio announces 2017 Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program funding

Twenty-five organizations will receive funding to preserve farmland, according to a recent Ohio Department of Agriculture announcement.

The sponsor organizations that will handle the Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) will receive a total of $8 million from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund.

The 11 districts, nine land trusts, four counties and one township will select the agricultural easements from this year's applicants. Landowners interested in selling an easement to their property should contact the local sponsor in their county.

The LAEPP program has several requirements. The farm must remain permanently in agricultural production, be 40 acres or more, be part of the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program and not be in the way of development. The local government must support the easement. In addition, the farmer must be actively farming the land and be a good steward of the property.

Voters approved the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund in 2008. Since its inception, the program has preserved more than 63,000 acres from 380 family farms in 55 counties.

Proceeds of the sale of the easement have no restrictions; the farmer can use it for anything. Most farmers put the funds back into their operations.