DOVER, Del. (August 19, 2020) – The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation voted to extend district enrollment until December 31, 2020 to any agricultural landowners who want to preserve their farms. These landowners will have the opportunity to apply for Round 25 in 2021. Before the landowner can submit a bid to sell an easement, the farm must be enrolled in a preservation district.

According to the Delaware AgLands Preservation Program, 201 landowners have submitted bids to sell development rights in the last two years. Of the bids submitted, the Foundation accepted 85 percent for easement purchase. The Foundation uses an impartial discount ranking system that maximizes benefits for the taxpayer. Bids are ranked and selected using the funding available for each year.

If a landowner’s bid is selected for easement, the Foundation does not own the land, but rather purchases the landowner’s development rights. Then a permanent agricultural conservation easement is placed on the property.

“Landowners who sell their development rights benefit by pulling value out of their land and receiving a payment now. This money can be reinvested in the farm operation or used to purchase more cropland,” said Jimmy Kroon, Aglands Preservation Program Administrator. “On the other hand, some farmers preserve their farmland before passing it onto the next generation to ensure it will be farmed for the long run.”

Delaware’s statewide program made its first round of easement purchases in 1996 and has since preserved 22 percent of New Castle County farmland, 39 percent of Kent County farmland and 19 percent of Sussex County farmland.

For more information or to obtain applications related to the Delaware AgLands Preservation Program, interested landowners can visit https://agriculture.delaware.gov or call (302) 698-4530.

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees includes representatives from agriculture and state agencies. Trustees are: Mark Collins, chairman; Bill Vanderwende, vice-chairman; L. Allen Messick Jr., treasurer; William H. “Chip” Narvel Jr., secretary; Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse; State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis; Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Shawn Garvin; Peter Martin; Theodore P. Bobola Jr.; Robert Emerson; and Janice Truitt.

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Dover, Del. – Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program through October 31. The program provides long-term, no-interest loans to help eligible farmers purchase land, reducing the financial impact on farmers just starting out or looking to expand.

“This year was extremely important legislatively because the AgLands Preservation Program was funded for the full ten million dollars,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Not only will this help increase the percentage of farmland preserved, but it will guarantee that there is a future in Delaware agriculture for a younger generation. The Young Farmers Loan Program is a powerful commitment to young people entering agriculture that Delaware stands behind them, and supports their goals and aspirations.”

Applicants must have at least three years of farming experience, and their net worth must not exceed $300,000. Eligible farms must contain at least 15 acres of cropland and must not be enrolled in a conservation easement at the time of purchase. The 30-year, no interest loans may fund up to 70 percent of the value of a property’s development rights, defined as the difference between full market value and agricultural value, up to a maximum of $500,000.

Delaware’s Young Farmers Loan Program began in 2011 to help lower barriers to young people wanting to get started in farming. Thirty-three farmers have purchased land so far in all three counties, totaling 2,517 acres of farmland using $7.4 million in loans. That includes both individual farmers and couples, all seeking to purchase new land or expand their existing farms. Land purchased through the program is permanently preserved through the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation.

Interested applicants can visit the Department of Agriculture website, agriculture.delaware.gov, for an information and application packet, or contact Deputy Secretary Austin Short at 302-698-4500 or austin.short@delaware.gov.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. — More than 127,000 acres of Delaware farmland are now permanently preserved for future generations, with the purchase of the development rights of 41 farms totaling 3,534 acres. This is the 22nd consecutive year of easement selections by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. Many of the farms in this round would not have been preserved without matching funds from multiple sources, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Sussex County Council, and Kent County Levy Court.

“I am proud to announce the largest round of Delaware farmland permanently preserved through the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Program in the last four years. This is a result of federal funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and funding from both Sussex County and Kent County,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “It is because of the importance that the General Assembly and the Governor’s office have placed on this program and the commitment of our partners in preserving farmland, that we can make it possible to keep Delaware land in agriculture.”

In this round of easement selections, there was one farm in New Castle County, thirty in Kent County, and ten in Sussex County preserved.

The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation selects those farms approved for easement purchase using an impartial discounted ranking system that maximizes benefits for taxpayers. The Foundation does not own the land, but rather purchases landowners’ development rights and places a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the property. Landowners must first voluntarily enroll their farm into a 10-year preservation district before they can sell an easement. In addition to over 127,000 acres in permanent easements, Delaware’s Aglands Preservation Program has over 45,000 acres of land enrolled in farmland preservation districts.

This year the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is celebrating 25 years of conservation easements, including wetland and agricultural easements. In Delaware, NRCS has provided more than 50 million dollars of funding to help preserve 302 farms and more than 40,300 acres since 1997.

County governments can choose to partner with the state program and add county funds to select properties in their areas, leveraging state resources for the greatest impact. In the round announced today, both Kent and Sussex County governments provided funding to assist with the purchase of development rights for farms in their respective counties.

“Kent County is thrilled to partner once again with the Delaware Department of Agriculture in the preservation of significant productive farmland in Kent County” said County Administrator Mike Petit de Mange. “Through this partnership we are preserving an additional 1,273 Acres of high quality working land in support of our number one industry in Central Delaware. The Levy Court is grateful to our local farmers for their commitment and contributions to the economy and quality of life in Kent County and to their commitment to the Agland Preservation Program.”

Delaware’s statewide program made its first round of easement purchases in 1996, and has since preserved 22 percent of New Castle County farmland, 38 percent of Kent County farmland and 16 percent of Sussex County farmland.

“Sussex County supports the agriculture sector and is excited to partner with the State to help preserve our number one industry,” said Sussex County Administrator Todd F. Lawson. “Because of these efforts, ten farms representing 780 acres will be preserved in Sussex County, ensuring the long-term viability of agriculture in our State.”

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees includes representatives from agriculture and state agencies. Trustees are: Bob Garey, chairman; Bill Vanderwende, vice-chairman; L. Allen Messick Jr., treasurer; William H. “Chip” Narvel Jr., secretary; Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse; State Treasurer Ken Simpler; Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Shawn Garvin; Peter Martin; Theodore P. Bobola Jr.; Robert Emerson; and Janice Truitt.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov