ALLEN COUNTY — Landowners in Allen County have from now until Feb. 24, 2023, to see if they meet the qualifications for the Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program. The West Central Ohio Land Conservancy will pre-qualify interested applicants.
Then the highest pre-certified applicants will be assisted in completing an application that will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Agriculture for the purchase of their agricultural easement. The program allows landowners to voluntarily sell easements on their farms to the state of Ohio. The easement requires the farm to remain on agriculture production. Selected farms must be 40 acres, actively engaged in farming, participate in the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program, enrolled in an ag district, demonstrate good stewardship of the land, have support from local government and not be closed to development. Landowners may use the proceeds from the sale in any way they wish. So far more than 100,000 acres have been preserved.
More information can be secured from the West Central Ohio Land Conservancy at 567-204-9126, The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Office of Farmland Preservation at 614-728-6210.
