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farm and ranch land for strong communities
 Local farms and ranches are the backbone of farmers’ markets—63 percent of our dairy products and 86 percent of fruits and vegetables come from farms closest to our cities. Farms and ranches also provide productive open space and serve as the frontline against urban sprawl, a natural buffer against inefficient development and wasteful land use practices.
Privately owned agricultural land provides fiscal stability for local governments: Cost of Community Services (COCS) studies show that nationwide, farm, forest and open lands more than pay for the municipal services they require, while taxes on residential uses, on average, fail to cover costs.
VOice for Change |
A simple motto guides Larry Klco’s decisions for his Lake County, Ohio pick-your-own farm: "If you want to buy it, I’ll grow it." Klco also responded to consumers who wanted to keep their community rural. He convinced local officials that the cost of preserving the land would be far less than the cost of supplying local services if the land were to be developed. “I can’t tell you how many people stopped to thank me for preserving the farm,” he says. |
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But farm and ranch land in America is at risk. Every single minute of every day, we lose two acres of farm and ranch land to development and fragmentation—that's more than one million acres every year.
Farm bill programs can enhance the quality of life in communities nationwide by protecting the farms and ranches that provide fresh food, beautiful landscapes and maintain local community character.
The House of Representatives farm bill includes $4.6 billion in additional funding for conservation and environmental programs. However, these new programs are at risk of being cut before the final 2007 Farm Bill is authorized. Contact Congress through AFT's Action Network and let them know your priorities in the 2007 Farm Bill.
» What you can do to support the farm bill
» AFT's farm bill recommendations
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