Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County will host a workshop April 13th, 2016 to continue educating farmland owners about farmland protection. This meeting will focus on preparing landowners to move forward with the process involved in farmland protection programs. We plan to have representatives of Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, the New York Agricultural Land Trust, and the Southern Madison Heritage Trust to answer questions about the purchase of development rights and agricultural easements.
The workshop will cover some basics of farmland preservation, conservation easements, landowner commitment, and available farmland protection programs. Emphasis will be on the state Department of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Implementation Grant Program (FPIG). The pre-application is designed to screen farmland owners interested in applying for the FPIG Purchase of Development Rights program.
Farmland protection is about keeping farmland open and working for future years to come! It is a lengthy process and the goal of the workshop is to educate landowners and help them understand the commitment required to see it through to the end. It involves work on their part as well as necessary communication with family members and business partners. Farmland protection is about planning the future of the farm.
The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 13, at the Madison County CCE office, 100 Eaton Street, Morrisville. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the program runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Please register by contacting Katherine Brosnan at 315-684-3001 ext. 100 or emailkmb279@cornell.edu Please visit our website at www.ccemadisoncounty.org for more information.