Preserving Farmland - a vital, valuable, and infinite resource

Here in Warren County we place great value on our farmland​. Our goal is to help make sure that valuable farmland is preserved in this county for many generations to come. One way we work to achieve that goal is through our Farmland Preservation Program. We work with Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and local land trust organizations to assist landowners who wish to preserve valuable land in Warren County.  

​In January 2017 we will begin accepting applications from Warren County landowners interested in selling an agricultural easement on their farms through the Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP). More than $200,000 is available for Warren County landowners for the 2017 funding round. This is a voluntary program in which landowners have the opportunity to sell easements on their farmland to the state of Ohio.

To be eligible the farm must be:

• 40 acres or more
• Actively engaged in farming practices
• Participating in the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program
• Demonstrating good land stewardship 
• Supported for preservation by the local government and not lay directly in the path of development

 
The easement will guarantee the farm remains in agricultural production permanently.

Interested landowners are welcome to attend a Farmland Preservation Open House on Tuesday, December 13 from 8:30am-10:30am or Monday, December 19 from 4:00pm-6:00pm at 320 E. Silver Street, Suite 300, Lebanon, Ohio 45036 or schedule a meeting with a WCSWCD staff member. Funding for the program is derived from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, approved by voters in 2008. Click here for more information on Ohio’s farmland preservation effort. 

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Not interested in selling an agricultural easement on your farm to the state, but would like to learn about other ways a farm can be preserved? Please contact Kara Schirmer to discuss other options.