Land donated to ag preservation

“Historic” is the word used to describe action taken by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday (December 15th) to approve agricultural conservation easement donations totaling 953 acres to the County Farmland Preservation Program.

Brad Neumann, Land Policy Educator with MSU Extension, used the term as he asked county commissioners to approve seven donations from Henry and Martha Miller for properties located in Lockport and Florence townships.

In remarks to the board, Neumann said, “This is a historic night here in the commission chambers – historic for Henry and Martha and their family because this is a personal, financial decision that affects not only their finances, but their children’s finances. It’s a historic and important night for neighboring property owners in that area of Lockport and Florence townships because it’s an action that will forever change the character or maintain the character of that community. It’s significant to the townships that maintain zoning and a master plan and those townships that supported this action as well. It’s significant for the county, not only from a quality of life perspective, but from an economic wellbeing perspective because this is something that communicates to agribusiness that St. Joseph County is serious about long-term agricultural production. It’s a significant event for the State of Michigan. I believe that this agricultural conservation easement donation is the largest ever made in the State of Michigan and that puts St. Joseph County on the map and says that Michigan – the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, only second to California in terms of diversity of crops – Michigan is serious about agriculture as a long-term economic driver of the state.”

Neumann noted the leadership St. Joseph County has given to conservation, farmland preservation, and agricultural production planning. He said, “St. Joseph County is the first and only farmland preservation program in the state of Michigan that is operating a program under a county master plan.”

The property is the first to be preserved by the County Farmland Preservation Program.

The action by county commissioners to approve the donations was unanimous.