By Peter Wulfhorst
Farmland covers 26 percent of the Commonwealth and agriculture is an important source of employment, earnings, and economic activity in both rural areas and several metropolitan counties. Agriculture and its associated industries provide a $135.7 billion annual economic impact, representing close to 18% of Pennsylvania's gross state product. It employs and supports nearly 580,000 people paying wages of $27 billion. Agriculture supports 1 out of every 10 jobs in Pennsylvania and for each dollar of direct output, another $0.62 is generated in economic impact.
Farmland also provides environmental benefits, such as wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, ground water re-charge, air pollution removal, open space amenities and carbon storage and sequestration. (An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program, 2018).
The most recent figures from the United States Department of Agriculture show that a loss of farms and farmland has continued over the years. From 2012 to 2017, the number of farms in Pennsylvania has decreased by 10% to 53,157 and the land in farm acreage has decreased by 6% to 7,278,668. (USDA 2017 Census of Agriculture State Profile, 2017)
Pennsylvania's agricultural land is threatened for conversion by low density residential development (LDR), Urban Residential Development, commercial and industrial development and utility scale solar operations. LDR consists of large lot housing developments occurring around agricultural fields. In its nationwide study, Farms Under Threat: The State of the States, the American Farmland Trust found that Pennsylvania ranked eighth in the nation for the rate of conversion from ag land to low-density housing. 70% of the 347,000 acres of farmland lost in the state between 2001 and 2016 is estimated to be lost to low-density housing.
Low-density residential development is 23 times more likely to make surrounding ag land urbanized than other agricultural land, according to the report, which the trust bills as "the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of U.S. agricultural land use."
Most of the land in communities, including agricultural lands is owned by private individuals and businesses and most development decisions are made those by individuals. The decisions by landowners including farmers to sell their land for development can change the landscape of a community. Local community officials through their comprehensive planning efforts can influence how landowners and developers make decisions that serve not only the interests of these landowners, but also the interest and well-being of all the community.
Some Pennsylvania communities are experiencing conflicts over agricultural issues. New residents moving into agricultural areas can lead to conflicts with farmers. Technological changes are leading to larger, more specialized farms. For example, increased number of chickens, cows or hogs on a farm produce greater amounts of manure, increasing the potential for manure runoff into streams or odor complaints from neighbors. (Penn State Extension: Finding the Common Ground, Community Conflicts over Agriculture, Land Use & Natural Resources, 1997).
These conflicts can divide a community, however with open communication between all parties and a willingness to creatively look at the problem, often solutions can be found. (Penn State Extension: Finding the Common Ground, Community Conflicts over Agriculture, Land Use & Natural Resources, 1997).
To help address the overall challenge of retaining farmland and agricultural production, numerous programs are available to landowners and/or elected officials. An example of one such program is the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program (PACE). According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania leads the nation in farmland preservation through the purchase of permanent agricultural conservation easements.
Other programs include the Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act (more widely known as Clean & Green) which provides a means of reducing taxes that are leveraged on agricultural and open space lands. The Clean & Green Law provides for farmland to be taxed based on its agricultural value versus fair market value.
The Agricultural Area Security Law is a means to promote viable farming operations over the long term by strengthening the rights of farmers to farm and the farming community's sense of security in their use of the land. This law provides limited protections from certain ordinances and enables local governments and landowners to create Agricultural Security Areas.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) provides the foundation for local governments to prepare and administer comprehensive plans and land use regulations including Subdivision/Land Development and Zoning Ordinances. These planning tools include agricultural considerations as designated in the MPC. One of the primary ways by which zoning can protect farmland and encourage agricultural operations is through Agricultural Protection Zoning (APZ). An objective of APZ is to protect prime agricultural soils from development. It also seeks to retain a critical mass for agriculture and protect public easement investments (such as PACE) by limiting development on surrounding land.
APZ requires new lots that are created to minimize the conversion of farmland. For example, using a sliding scale that permits a very limited number of subdivided lots based upon the size of the parent tract. The lots that are allowed have a maximum versus minimum lot size requirement to minimize the amount of land conversion from agricultural to residential.
The Loss of agricultural land in a community can bring many issues and impacts to a community including changing viewsheds, new traffic patterns and additional services needed for residents.
Community and agricultural stakeholders, as well as local elected/appointed officials may want to communicate about the current and potentially changing landscape of their community as well as the tools that are available to manage these changes. If a local community values the benefits that agriculture provide that community, they should consider the various tools that are discussed above. These tools can go a long way to determining the best fit needed to retain the desired agricultural viability and community character.
Low-density residential development is 23 times more likely to make surrounding agricultural land urbanized than other agricultural land, according to the report, which the trust bills as "the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of U.S. agricultural land use."
Most of the land in communities, including agricultural lands is owned by private individuals and businesses and most development decisions are made those by individuals. The decisions by landowners including farmers to sell their land for development can change the landscape of a community. Local community officials through their comprehensive planning efforts can influence how landowners and developers make decisions that serve not only the interests of these landowners, but also the interest and well-being of all the community.
Some Pennsylvania communities are experiencing conflicts over agricultural issues. New residents moving into agricultural areas can lead to conflicts with farmers. Technological changes are leading to larger, more specialized farms. For example, increased number of chickens, cows or hogs on a farm produce greater amounts of manure, increasing the potential for manure runoff into streams or odor complaints from neighbors. (Penn State Extension: Finding the Common Ground, Community Conflicts over Agriculture, Land Use & Natural Resources, 1997).
These conflicts can divide a community, however with open communication between all parties and a willingness to creatively look at the problem, often solutions can be found. (Penn State Extension: Finding the Common Ground, Community Conflicts over Agriculture, Land Use & Natural Resources, 1997).
To help address the overall challenge of retaining farmland and agricultural production, numerous programs are available to landowners and/or elected officials. An example of one such program is the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program (PACE). According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania leads the nation in farmland preservation through the purchase of permanent agricultural conservation easements.
Other programs include the Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act (more widely known as Clean & Green) which provides a means of reducing taxes that are leveraged on agricultural and open space lands. The Clean & Green Law provides for farmland to be taxed based on its agricultural value versus fair market value.
The Agricultural Area Security Law is a means to promote viable farming operations over the long term by strengthening the rights of farmers to farm and the farming community's sense of security in their use of the land. This law provides limited protections from certain ordinances and enables local governments and landowners to create Agricultural Security Areas.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) provides the foundation for local governments to prepare and administer comprehensive plans and land use regulations including Subdivision/Land Development and Zoning Ordinances. These planning tools include agricultural considerations as designated in the MPC. One of the primary ways by which zoning can protect farmland and encourage agricultural operations is through Agricultural Protection Zoning (APZ). An objective of APZ is to protect prime agricultural soils from development. It also seeks to retain a critical mass for agriculture and protect public easement investments (such as PACE) by limiting development on surrounding land.
APZ requires new lots that are created to minimize the conversion of farmland. For example, using a sliding scale that permits a very limited number of subdivided lots based upon the size of the parent tract. The lots that are allowed have a maximum versus minimum lot size requirement to minimize the amount of land conversion from agricultural to residential.
The Loss of agricultural land in a community can bring many issues and impacts to a community including changing viewsheds, new traffic patterns and additional services needed for residents.
Community and agricultural stakeholders, as well as local elected/appointed officials, may want to communicate about the current and potentially changing landscape of their community as well as the tools that are available to manage these changes. If a local community values the benefits that agriculture provide that community, they should consider the various tools that are discussed above. These tools can go a long way to determining the best fit needed to retain the desired agricultural viability and community character.
Source : psu.edu