Farmland Protection

With its unique confluence of climate, topography, and high-quality soils, Illinois farmland—some of the finest in the world—is disappearing at an alarming rate, and with it goes many public benefits, including food, fiber, and biomass for renewable energy. Well-managed farms also:

That's why Openlands, with funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, works hard to protect rapidly vanishing farmland throughout the region. (Click the icons on the map below to view a selection of active local farms, food producers, and markets.)

View Local Growers in a larger map

In just fifteen years (1987-2002), extensive development claimed almost one-third of the agricultural land in Kane, Kendall, and Grundy counties. These losses continue at a steady pace today, and many of Chicago's collar counties could permanently lose bountiful acres within a single generation.

By developing voluntary programs that allow farmers to safeguard their land, livelihood, and way of life, Boone, Kane, Kendall, and McHenry counties are attempting to reverse this trend. The biggest roadblock, however, is a lack of funding to purchase development rights from willing landowners.

Openlands is spearheading legislation that gives counties the opportunity to generate local funding for farmland protection programs, allowing voters to decide through referenda to raise taxes to purchase agricultural conservation easements.

Additionally, Openlands:

• Connects agricultural experts in the region, creating a communication network between farming communities, local governments, and citizen groups;
• Analyzes a variety of land-use models to prevent farmland from disappearing (in some cases, organic and specialty farming may be appropriate along the edge of suburban development); and
• Hosts annual conferences (see following pages) to generate support for farmland protection initiatives.

For more information about our farmland protection initiatives, please contact Openlands Policy Director Lenore Beyer-Clow via e-mail or by phone at 312-863-6264.

February 1–2, 2008

Heavy snow could not deter the broad compendium of federal, state, and local government officials; farming businesses; non-profit conservation organizations; and land trusts that came together to explore action steps for saving farmland in northeastern Illinois—from producing viable bio-energy grasses to marketing the use of agricultural conservation easements.

Speakers at the event, hosted at Elgin Community College, offered innovative incentives to integrate farming into the economic structure of the region, discussed statewide initiatives, and considered conservation actions taken by people who operate farms. Conference presentations included:

• The Outlook for Farmland Protection in Northeastern Illinois, Steven Arnold, FFBCM, Manager, Kane County Farm Bureau;
  
• Farming with Nature: Preserving Farmland for Local Food Production, Megan Lewis, Executive Director, and Terra Brockman, Director of Farmer Training, The Land Connection;
• Ohio's Successful Farm Program, Kristen Jensen, Program Manager, Office of Farmland Preservation, Ohio Department of Agriculture;
• The Role of Land Trusts in Protecting Farmland, Lisa Haderlein, the Land Conservancy of McHenry County, and Dan Lobbes, The Conservation Foundation;
• Public-Private Partnerships, Pat O’Connell, Evergreen Conservation Finance;
• Soil Carbon Offsets, Bill Schleizer, Delta Institute; and
• Nationally: A 15-County Comparison, Anita Zurbrugg, American Farmland Trust.

The 2008 conference was funded by a grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.

Nearly seventy farmers, government officials, and concerned citizens gathered at Waubonsee Community College, in Kane County, Illinois, to hear experts discuss a wide range of farmland protection issues, including:

• Farmland Protection and the Outlook for the 2007 Farm Bill, Keith Eichorst, Natural Resources Conservation Services;
• Evaluation of the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Program, Anita Zurbrugg, American Farmland Trust;
• Farmland Protection Funding Options, Daniel Patrick O’Connell, Evergreen Capital Advisors
• Agricultural Areas as Farmland Protection Tools, Terry Savko, Illinois Department of Agriculture;
• Kane County Protection Program: Five Years of Success, Janice Hill, Kane County;
• Donated Conservation Easements, Dan Lobbes, The Conservation Foundation; and
  
• Protecting Farmland in the Face of Development—A Case Study, Dave Wadden, Land Vision.

Openlands 25 E. Washington St., Suite 1650, Chicago, IL 60602
312-863-6250 | 312-863-6251 (FAX)
info@openlands.org

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