HOW TO KEEP LAND IN AGRICULTURE If That’s Your Goal Lawrence W. Libby C. William Swank Professor of Rural-Urban Policy The Ohio State University

THE ALABAMA PICTURE Land use change Land use change Policy Policy

STATE RANKINGS BY ACREAGE AND RATE OF NON-FEDERAL LAND DEVELOPED State Rank Change in TotalAverage AnnualRankChange in TotalAverage Annual Land DevelopedConversion Rate Land DevelopedConversion Rate (1000 Acres)(1000 Acres/Year) (1000 Acres)(1000 Acres/Year) 1Texas Georgia Florida California Pennsylvania North Carolina Tennessee Ohio Michigan South Carolina Virginia New York Alabama Illinois Washington Kentucky Minnesota Missouri New Mexico New Jersey Massachusetts Mississippi Indiana Wisconsin Maryland West Virginia Oklahoma Arkansas Louisiana Arizona Colorado Puerto Rico Maine Oregon Kansas Idaho Utah Montana Iowa New Hampshire South Dakota Nebraska Connecticut Wyoming North Dakota Nevada Delaware Vermont Hawaii Rhode Island Nation Source: 1997 National Resources Inventory, revised December Data for Alaska are not yet available. StateState

Why Keep Land in Farms? Not trivial – has to be a case Not trivial – has to be a case Not food scarcity, but long term food security Not food scarcity, but long term food security Economic importance of agriculture, high secondary economic impacts Economic importance of agriculture, high secondary economic impacts Avoid fragmentation of farmland Avoid fragmentation of farmland Avoid linear development – costs more Avoid linear development – costs more

More on the Why Agriculture and character of rural Alabama Agriculture and character of rural Alabama Ecological services – groundwater recharge, nutrient recycle Ecological services – groundwater recharge, nutrient recycle Amenity services – landscape, habitat Amenity services – landscape, habitat

Current Policy in Alabama Deferred tax on farmland Deferred tax on farmland Right to farm Right to farm Planning effort for Farmland Protection Program under 2002 Farm Bill Planning effort for Farmland Protection Program under 2002 Farm Bill Private land trusts Private land trusts Conservation easement enabling law (97), includes ag, 30 years is default or change in ownership Conservation easement enabling law (97), includes ag, 30 years is default or change in ownership

HOW TO KEEP LAND IN FARMS State policy position on farmland retention State policy position on farmland retention Can acknowledge, support local action Can acknowledge, support local action Try a Governor’s Farmland Commission Try a Governor’s Farmland Commission Broadly representative Broadly representative Land use changes, pressures Land use changes, pressures Unintended impacts of existing law Unintended impacts of existing law What makes sense for Alabama? What makes sense for Alabama?

HOW -- continued County or other local action County or other local action Farmland committees to describe present, chart future, eg. Population change in rural areas Farmland committees to describe present, chart future, eg. Population change in rural areas Establish network of county farmland committees, informed constituency Establish network of county farmland committees, informed constituency

How – Policy Change Incentive-based, keep land in farms Incentive-based, keep land in farms Enable purchase of farmland easements Enable purchase of farmland easements Scoring system will reflect priorities Scoring system will reflect priorities Appraisal Appraisal Land-Link program to help young farmers Land-Link program to help young farmers Try “transfer of development rights” Try “transfer of development rights” Development right mitigation area Development right mitigation area Higher density in return for open land Higher density in return for open land Cultivate urban interest in farms Cultivate urban interest in farms Farmers markets, agri-tourism, compost, access for hunting, etc. Farmers markets, agri-tourism, compost, access for hunting, etc.

CONCLUSIONS Urban people value farms and farmland, need to be reminded Urban people value farms and farmland, need to be reminded Find ways for farmer to capture these additional benefits Find ways for farmer to capture these additional benefits Local action, with state level endorsement Local action, with state level endorsement Policy change is incremental, don’t expect or seek big changes Policy change is incremental, don’t expect or seek big changes Only acceptable policy is good policy in Alabama Only acceptable policy is good policy in Alabama

Larry Libby C. William Swank Professor of Rural-Urban Policy The Ohio State University (P) (F)