The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation put aside more than 124,000 acres of farmland in its latest round of selections.
“I am proud to announce the largest round of Delaware farmland permanently preserved through the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program in the last several years. This is a result of federal funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and funding from both New Castle County and Kent County,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse.
This round preserved three farms in New Castle County, eighteen in Kent County, and thirteen in Sussex County. County governments can choose to support the purchases with their own funds. For the latest round, New Castle County contributed $194,389 and Kent County contributed $101,232.
“Farmland preservation is vital to protecting open space while supporting our thriving agricultural economy,” New Castle County Executive Matthew Meyer said.
The Foundation vets and approves all applications based on an impartial ranking system that maximizes taxpayer benefit. Once the application is approved, the state buys the development rights to the property, leaving ownership to the original landowner. Delaware also has more than 53,000 acres of farmland in preservation districts,
Delaware claims more than 53,000 acres of farmland in preservation districts,