Preliminary data shows more acres are enrolled in a farmland preservation program, according to the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
Farmland Preservation gives financial incentives for farmers to keep their land in production while preserving soil and water quality. Farmland Preservation Program Manager Wednesday Coye says so far, they’ve seen more than 2,000 acres enter the programs since last year. She says it’s due to the increased incentives the state Legislature passed in December 2023.
Among the updates to the program are the following:
- Reducing the minimum number of years a farmer would have to commit to the program from 15 to 10 years. This gives more flexibility and account for estate planning.
- Increase payments from $7.50 to $10 per acre for land located in a farmland preservation zoning district but not subject to a farmland preservation agreement.
- Increase payments from $5 to $10 per acre for land subject to a farmland preservation agreement but not located in a farmland preservation zoning district.
- Increase payments from $10 to $12.50 per acre for land located in a farmland preservation zoning district and are subject to a farmland preservation agreement.
“Interest in our Agricultural Enterprise Area program has been a hot topic item since those changes went through last December,” Coye says, adding that they saw two new petitions for an AEA. She expects up to seven more petitions in the next few years as it takes time for a community to bring the idea to fruition. The state can designate 2 million acres into AEAs. Currently, it’s about 80 percent full, Coye notes.
In addition to growing interest in AEAs, Coye says more farmers are signing up for farmland preservation agreements.
“We had about 30 this year come forward and put in an application, which is great,” she says. “And the feedback we’ve heard from them is that they really like that they can have a 10-year agreement versus a 15-year agreement.”
Coye says a new region they’re seeing represented in the program is the Northwoods. She says with the increase in credits, the preservation programs are likely more viable for those farms. She’s also seen certain types of agribusinesses leaning toward these programs, such as graziers and cranberries.
Interested in a farmland preservation program? Visit: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/FarmlandPreservation.aspx
