Connecticut Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program

Connecticut Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program is sponsored by Connecticut Department of Agriculture. Provides funding to protect and preserve agricultural land in Connecticut.

Connecticut Traditional Farmland Preservation Program Guide - Ambrook Connecticut Traditional Farmland Preservation Program Connecticut Department of Agriculture Share https://ambrook. com/funding/ct-traditional-farmland-preservation-program? utm_medium=referral The traditional Farmland Preservation Program (FPP) is the primary preservation program administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

Typically it is a good fit for preserving larger (>30 acres) farms that have a significant quantity of cropland and prime and important soils as defined by the United State Department of Agriculture. Applications to the Connecticut Farmland Preservation Program are submitted voluntarily by property owners and may be considered by the Commissioner of Agriculture following an evaluation based on objective scoring criteria.

The criteria utilized to score applications include: Quantity of land classified as having prime and important farmland soils Percentage of cropland that contains prime and important farmland soils Methods of marketing commodities produced on the farm Amount of other active farmland located in proximity to the farm Agricultural support services available in proximity to the farm Protection of the farm must be consistent with the State Conservation and Development Policies Plan for the State Of Connecticut Intensive development near the farm and an excessive cost of development rights acquisition negatively affect the score, and For protection projects involving USDA Agricultural Land Easement funds, farms may not have more than 67% non-cropland and must have at least 50% prime or important soils.

Landowners may apply to the program voluntarily. The application is evaluated according to state regulation criteria. If the farm meets minimum scoring criteria, the Commissioner may accept the application.

Configuration of the application and specifics of the easement are negotiated and agreed to by the land owner and Commissioner of Agriculture. The farm is appraised for the unrestricted market value and the market agricultural value, the difference between the two indicating the value of the development rights.

The appraisals are reviewed by the Commissioner who may negotiate anywhere from a gift of, to the full value of the development rights. An agreement letter is presented from the Commissioner to the land owner representing the agreed upon price. The letter is reviewed and approved by the Attorney General.

A detailed report is submitted to the State Properties Review Board for review and approval. A notice of application is filed with the town clerk of the town where the farm is located. Funds are acquired for the acquisition, and an A-2 survey, title insurance, and title search are obtained.

Upon completion of due diligence, the conveyance of development rights deed is executed and a check for the development rights acquisition processed. After all the documents are approved by the Attorney General, a closing is held and the documents and maps are recorded in the local land records and with the Secretary of State.

Department of Agriculture staff on an annual basis will reach out to the land owners to conduct stewardship reports and visits. Fill out the application below and submit to: Farmland Preservation Program Application (PDF) Farmland Preservation Program Application (Online Fillable Form) Farmland Preservation Program Connecticut Department of Agriculture 450 Columbus Blvd, Suite 701 Application for the CT Farmland Preservation Program.

CT Farmland Preservation Program Application (Online Fillable Form) Direct Farm Operating Loan Loan General Equipment Animal Purchase Diversification Marketing Processing Feed Seed Fertilizer Cash Rent Housing Construction Infrastructure Repairs Pest Management Storage Legal & Finance Water Management Waterway Protection Water Quality Conservation Training Immigrants CSA Refinancing Reduced Tillage National Any Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP ) Natural Resources Conservation Service Grant Cost Share Conservation Cover Crops Forest Management Certified Grassfed Irrigation High Tunnel Certified Organic Air Quality Alternative Energy Soil Health Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat Water Quality Weather Research Landscape Precision Ag Drought Nutrient Management Carbon Capture Fencing Agroforestry Grazing Management Reduced Inputs National Any ACRE3 Agricultural Energy Efficiency Colorado Department of Agriculture Grant Cost Share Loan Alternative Energy Conservation Irrigation Storage Greenhouse CO Any ACRE3 Irrigation Hydropower Programs Colorado Department of Agriculture Grant Cost Share Loan Hydro Power Alternative Energy Irrigation Conservation Water Management Equipment CO Any Transition Land & Ownership Connecticut Department of Agriculture Image Credit: Lisa Careau This information was gathered from public sources.

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