The Georgia Department of Agriculture recently announced the inaugural round of applications for the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund, created to ‘protect Georgia farmland from development.’
Georgia is expected to lose nearly 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040, so state leaders created the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund to “ensure the State’s #1 industry can continue to be successful.”
From a press release from the Georgia Department of Agriculture:
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund will enable selected Georgia farmers to voluntarily protect their farms in perpetuity by providing financial assistance to extend conservation objectives. Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allocates $450 million every year to match dollars within state farmland conservation programs. At the state level, the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program will be funded by appropriations designated by the state legislature, as well as public or private grants, dedicated gifts, and donations.
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program will make those funds available annually to prospective qualified easement holders who have a project proposal that has been reviewed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and selected by the Georgia Farmland Conservation Council.
The Georgia Agriculture Commissioner will have sole discretion in how the funds are expended and the state agency will be permitted to retain 5% of the fund balance.
“Qualified farmland” means agricultural land in undeveloped areas or that has been developed only to the extent consistent with agricultural production, including row crops, livestock, nurseries, orchards, or pastures.
The standard for “prospective qualified easement holder” is one having a project proposal which has been reviewed by the department and approved by the council. The primary purpose of these prospective projects will be the conservation of farmlands that are threatened by development and the support of active farming and food production in this state.
In administering the program, the department shall, under the direction and advice of the council:
- (1) Give priority to project proposals that protect agricultural lands susceptible to development, subdivision, and fragmentation;
- (2) Adopt a scoring process for evaluating project proposals and prioritizing projects based on the extent that the project will:
- (A) Protect farmland in active or planned cultivation;
- (B) Prevent development or fragmentation that would result in farmland loss;
- (C) Support transition of affordable farmland to next-generation farmers;
- (D) Leverage local, federal, or private funding, taking into account whether such funding includes a match requirement;
- (E) Support conservation priorities, including, but not limited to, protection of habitat, water quality, watershed conservation, climate resiliency, local conservation plans, and public viewshed;
- (F) Preserve or enhance soil quality; and
- (G) Create or further enhance compatibility with existing military installations; and
- (3) Ensure that, per its terms, any agricultural conservation easement to be acquired through the project:
- (A) Is of perpetual duration;
- (B) May not be assigned to or enforced by a third party without the express written consent of the landowner; and
- (C) Aligns with existing federal and local programs to maximize potential for matching funds
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program was established in 2023 by Senate Bill 220. The governing statute can be found in O.C.G.A. § 44-10-40 through § 44-10-47.
Comments from Elected Officials and Agriculture Leaders
“With Georgia on pace to lose more nearly 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040, it is absolutely essential that we take decisive action to protect our state’s #1 industry and the Georgia Farm Families who fuel its success”, said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. “I was proud to lead the charge to create and fund the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund to help Georgia farmers protect their land from development, and I strongly encourage all interested farmers to apply.
“Ensuring Georgia’s No. 1 industry remains prosperous is essential to the economic success and security of our entire state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “That’s why I was proud to sign SB 220 and join with our agriculture and legislative partners in creating this program to help preserve our critical farmland for generations.”
“I want to commend Commissioner Harper for his leadership and tireless work on behalf of Georgia’s farmers,” said Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. “The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund helps Georgia farmers protect their land from development and is essential to making sure future generations of farmers can keep agriculture Georgia’s number one industry.”
“The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund reflects the General Assembly’s unwavering commitment to preserving our state’s No. 1 industry for generations to come,” said House Speaker Jon Burns. “The House is proud to partner with Commissioner Harper and the Department of Agriculture to support Georgia’s farming families and protect the land that is essential to maintaining our quality of life.”
“I appreciate Commissioner Harper’s leadership on farmland protection and keeping Georgia farmland in production,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “This program will go a long way in preserving family farms for the future generation. As farmers, the land we farm is not ours, we are just borrowing it from our children and grandchildren until they get to farm it one day. That is what this program is about – ensuring that family farms are still around for our grandchildren.”
“The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund program will be a critical resource to help Georgia farmers protect their land and protect their livelihoods,” said Georgia Agribusiness Council President Will Bentley. “I want to thank Commissioner Harper for his commitment to supporting Georgia farmers and protecting Georgia farmland, and we look forward to our continued work together on behalf of Georgia’s #1 industry.”
“Agribusiness is Georgia’s central economic engine. Supporting our farming community means supporting the economic and environmental vitality of our state,” said Georgia Conservancy President Katherine Moore. “As development expands across Georgia, farming landowners face significant threats to their livelihood, with few options for conserving their property. A program like this is essential for keeping working lands in working hands. We applaud the leadership of Commissioner Tyler Harper and the Georgia Department of Agriculture for launching this incredible effort; twenty-nine other states have taken this critical step toward proactively protecting our farmland and farming landowners, and we are proud and ecstatic to join them.”
