"We all want clean water, green space and
recreational trails to enjoy and cities where we can live and work
and prosper. The Clean Ohio Fund makes that possible."
- Governor Bob Taft, July 26, 2001
One can travel across any of our state’s major interstate
highways – north to south or east to west – and witness
the varied landscape that is Ohio. Thriving metropolitan areas are separated
by rich farmland and rolling pastures, and that successful combination
makes Ohio a novelty in this country. But that farmland is disappearing
before our eyes.
Each day, Ohio loses an average of 394 acres of farmland. That’s
one third of its farmland since 1950 (Census of Agriculture, 1997).
And, once land has been developed, its quality is lost forever. Ohio
is one of only five states with almost half of its farmland classified
as "prime" (44%). Prime farmland, as defined by the USDA,
is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics
for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is available
for these uses. In other words, more than half of Ohio is some of the
world’s best farmland.
Preserving farmland is an economic, environmental, and
social challenge that requires a synergistic approach for optimal growth
to occur – preserving greenspace, for example, while revitalizing
urban brownfields to reduce pressure to build outside of already-urbanized
areas.
Protecting farmland will help assure a strong rural economy
and protect scenic open space, wildlife habitats, and our quality of
life. Farmland preservation is not about being anti-development; it
is about wise development. Farmland, like industrial property, is about
growth and economics – farmers are business people who want to
maintain the investments they have made, and their work brings economic
benefits to their communities.
By helping maintain a healthy balance between urban and
agricultural areas, farmland preservation can improve the quality of
life of every Ohioan.
To find out more about Ohio’s Farmland Preservation
program, go to
http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/farmland/.
