Recent Changes to Tax Policy Impacting Farms and Farmland

Legislation enacted this year in New Hampshire and Vermont will mean changes to how farmland is taxed. In New Hampshire, House Bill 1442 provides additional tax relief for agricultural buildings and certain forest buildings at the option of a municipality. If adopted by a town, the measure allows agricultural buildings to be assessed at their replacement cost less depreciation and the land beneath the building to be assessed at 10 percent of its full market price. In Vermont, Senate Bill 311 broadens the state’s current use assessment by allowing the enrollment of wetlands, rare or exemplary natural communities, riparian buffers, vernal pools, and significant wildlife habitat.

Vermont Acts to Reduce Water Pollution From Agriculture

Reducing agricultural run-off is a major component of Vermont Governor Jim Douglas' "Clean and Clear" initiative, an effort to improve water quality across Vermont, including the Lake Champlain watershed. As part of this initiative, Vermont’s legislature enacted a measure in 2004 to regulate approximately 200 medium-sized dairy farms that produce 50 percent of the state's milk. More Issues

Farms Generate Significant Local Economic Activity

AFT conducted agricultural industry profiles to gauge the impact of Vermont's farmland protection program on the long-term viability of farming in Addison and Franklin counties—two of the top agricultural producing counties in Vermont. The profiles found that Addison and Franklin County farms added $450 million annually to the local economy, were responsible for more than one-tenth of all the farm sales in New England, supported local businesses by spending $169.6 million on farm expenses and provided more than ten percent of the jobs in the region.
Download The Economic Importance of Agriculture: A Profile of Addison and Franklin Counties [PDF].

AFT recently awarded Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) a lifetime achievement award for working tirelessly to support programs protecting farmland and farmers.

Vermont Landowners Satisfied with Farmland Conservation Program

An AFT study analyzing Vermont’s state-level farmland conservation program, which permanently conserves Vermont farmland, found that 98 percent of participating landowners were satisfied with the program. The study also determined that Vermont’s program helps keep farmers in business. Without it, an estimated one-fifth of the state’s conserved farmland would already have been sold for development. The study was condiucted in collaboration with Vermont Land Trust, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the Vermont Department of Agriculture. From the Field: What Farmers Have to Say about the Vermont Farmland Conservation Program, summarizes the highly favorable results of the study and profiles some participating farmers.
Read the Executive Summary.

A new farm bill, what’s in it for Vermont?

After years of work, we have a new 2008 Farm Bill. What does it mean for you and your community? From the foods we eat, to protecting farms from development, to helping keep our drinking water clean—the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 has many programs that affect all of us everyday.

• What’s in the new farm bill and why is it important?
• Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the promises made in the legislation are turned into programs on the ground.
• See an in-depth look at Vermont's agricultural profile at a state and district level and learn how much agriculture contributes to Vermont's economy.

Contact Us

New England Field Office
1 Short Street, Suite 2
Northampton, MA 01060-3952
(p) 413-586-9330 (f) 413-586-9332

Cris Coffin
New England Director
(p) 413-586-9330 ext. 29
ccoffin@farmland.org

Jesse Robertson-DuBois
New England Field Representative
(p) 413-586-9330 ext. 21
jrobertson@farmland.org