Cultivating Maine’s Agricultural Future · 2012-01-27 · in local tax revenues than itrequires in services—an averageof $0.37for every dollar of tax revenue collected. Cowsdon’t

12/7/2011

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Cultivating Maine’sAgricultural Future

Presented DATE at LOCATION

A Guide for Towns, Land Trusts, and Farm Supporters

Sponsoring Organizations and Funders

American Farmland Trust

Maine Farmland Trust

Mainewatch Institute

Additional funding from:

Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

Horizon Foundation, Inc.

Lowell Blake & Associates

Maine Department of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Resources

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund

Today’s presentationwill cover:

• The Benefits of Local Farms and Farming

• Who Can Keep Farms and Farmland Working?

• Case Studies – Maine Regions and TownsSupporting Agriculture

• Tools and Strategies for Supporting LocalAgriculture

Part I. The Benefits of Local Farms& Farmland

•Economic

•Environmental

•Community

Photo: Bridget Besaw

Economic BenefitsFarms are a vital part of theMaine economy and generate

over $1.7 billion in

economic impact each year


Farm businesses in Maine

spend over $500 millionannually on expenses suchas:

• feed and fertilizer

• electricity and fuel• labor

• rent

Economic Benefits


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Fiscal Benefits

Residential development consistently costs more in

municipal services thantherevenue it produces from property taxes—an

average of $1.19 per dollar collected.

Maine farmers payover $24 millionannually in local property taxes.

Farmland typically generates morein local tax revenues than it requires

in services—an averageof $0.37 for everydollar of tax revenue collected.

Cows don’t go to school!

Photo: Amanda Bunker

Environmental BenefitsA typical Maine farm consists not justof cultivated fields, but pasture,

wetlands, and woodlands as well.

These lands act as a natural filterfor drinking water, provide

important aquifer recharge areas,and reduce and minimize flooding.


Photo Brian Kent

Environmental Benefits

And farmland provideshabitat for a diverse array of

mammals, birds, insects andaquatic species…


Community Benefits

Farms provide educational andrecreational opportunities for

families and children.

Farm stands, farmers markets andcommunity supported agriculture

(CSA) farms are often importantcommunity hubs.

Photo: Brian Kent

Photo: Brian Kent

Community BenefitsFarms, barns, fields and stone wallsprovide important links to our

culture and history.


Photo: Brian Kent

Perhaps the most valued attributeof Maine farms is the hardest to

quantify—their contribution tolocal “quality of life”.

Part II. Who Can Keep Farmsand Farmland Working?

• Farmers and other landowners

• Elected officials, town boardsand committees

• Local and regionalorganizations

Photo by Brian Kent


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Farmers and other landowners

Actively survey or informallyinterview farmers and landownersin the community.

Photo by Brian Kent

Create a town or regional agriculturalcommission to serve as the “voice” ofagriculture in a community.

Elected Officials and Town Boards

• Comprehensive or open space plans

• Town ordinances

• Supporting current use taxation programs

• Planning Boards

• Comprehensive Plan Committees

• Select Boards/Councils

• Conservation Commissions

• Assessors


Through:

Who:

Local and regional organizations

• “Buy local” campaigns

• Agricultural fairs and festivals

• Conservation of important farmland

• Chambers of Commerce

• Land trusts

• Granges/FFA/4H

• Consumers and citizen advocates


Who:

Through:


Part III. Case Studies:Maine Regions and TownsSupporting Agriculture

• River Valley Agricultural Commission

• York County

• Unity Barn Raisers

• Monmouth Grows

• Bowdoinham CED

• Cape Farm AlliancePhoto: Amanda Bunker


Case Study: Unity Barn RaisersTogether, the community and UBR have:

• Protected over 1,500 acres of working farmland

• Operated a farmers market since 1997

• Operated a Community Meals Program andsupported Veggies for All

• Provided local farmers production assistance,business planning, and shared-use equipment

• Adopted, and then strengthened, a land useordinance that supports farms and farming

Case Study: Cape Farm AllianceSince 2008, the Cape Farm Alliance has:

• Increased education,outreach and policy advancement foragriculture via its meetings and website

• Created a local promotional campaign with emailnewsaboutwhat’s in season from the farmsof Cape Elizabeth

• Teamed with community services to offer Field to Table

• Assessed agriculturalassets to measure overall productivityand sustainability

• Worked to refine agricultural definitions and relatedordinance language


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Part IV. Tools and Strategies forSupporting Local Agriculture

•Right to Farm ordinances

•Municipal Tax Programs

•Farm Support Services

•Municipal Planning andLand Use

Right to Farm ordinancesSuch an ordinance would:

• Enabled by the Maine Agriculture Protection Act

• Document the importance of local farming

• Describe what may be perceived as nuisancesand then clearly state that these are protectedactivities, provided best management practicesare followed

• Notify new neighbors of the town’s support foragriculture and the types of impacts that may beassociated with farming


Municipal tax programsFarmland

– 5 contiguous acres

– annual gross farm income or value offarm products consumed by householdof $2,000 or more

Open Space– additional reduction if allow

public access


Tree growth– 10 acres and a forest

management planPhoto: Bridget Besaw

Voluntary Municipal Farm Support


A town can develop and adopt a local programthat lowers property taxes on participating

farms. This program:

• Ensures that land continues to befarmed for at least 20 years

• Goes beyond the reduction

available through current usetaxation

• May be crucial to a local farm

remaining in business

Farm Service Providers


• Maine Department of Agriculture, Food, and RuralResources

• Maine Farmland Trust

• University of Maine Cooperative Extension

• MOFGA

• Coastal Enterprises, Inc.

Many technical, financial, marketing, andconservation assistance services are available!

Municipal Planning and Land Use


• Farmland Inventories

• Open Space or Working Lands Planning

• Comprehensive Planning

• Land Use Ordinances

Local land use and regulatory tools can be usedin conjunction with other tools to help support

agriculture and maintain farmland.

Don’t zone out farming!

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Open Space or Working Lands Planning


It can also identify land that is notcurrently being used for agricultural

production but has good farm soils thatmay be needed by future generations.

An open space or working lands plan canlay the groundwork for implementation

of proactive policies and strategies forretaining farms and farmland.

Photo: Stacy Benjamin

Open Space or Working Lands Planning


• Involve farmers in theplanning process, as well as local and regional land trusts

• Consider creatingan agricultural commissionto help with theplan

• Distinguish working farm and forestlands from other types of open space, anddescribe their economic and environmental benefits.

• Inventory active agricultural land and its prime andstatewide-important farm soils. Be sure to askfarmers to identify important farmland!

• Develop a map that shows the community’s mostimportant farmland resources

• Outline clear goals and strategies to protect farmlandin the community.

Comprehensive Planning

Photo: Brian Kent

Comprehensive plans describe a town’s vision for thefuture, set policies and goals, and establish short andlong-term implementation strategies.

Make sure to include the importance offarming and farmland in the sections on:

• Soils

• Flood prevention

• Wildlife habitat

• Economy

• Existing land use

• Scenic resources

Land Use OrdinancesA community’s land use ordinance can go a longway to either support farming or hinder it.

Land use ordinances include:

• Zoning – separates areas of town by types of uses

• Site Plan Review – regulates development on a particular site

• Subdivision – regulates the division of parcels of land

• Shoreland Zoning – State –mandated protection of sensitive areas

• Miscellaneous other ordinances like aquifer protection or agriculturaloverlay districts

Land Use Ordinances

Photo: Brian Kent

Strategy 1: Flexibility and Good Definitions

Farm definitions should include:

• raising, handling, packing, processing, storing,and direct selling of any farm product

• maintaining farm equipment and buildings

• Ancillary non-agriculture business activities, aslong as they are compatible with farming

A land use ordinance should be sufficiently flexible toallow farmers to grow and diversify their businesses


Land Use OrdinancesStrategy 2: Ordinance Provisions That Really Mean Something

• Promote new development in the growth area(through smaller lot sizes, density bonuses or otherstrategies)

• Require most new non-farm commercial activity tolocate in growth areas

• Adopt flexible lot size and road frontage requirementsthat reduce the need to split farmland

• Require that new non-farm development adjacent tofarms be setback adequately from property lines

A town may want to consider using its ordinance to do any or allof the following:

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Land Use OrdinancesStrategy 3: Create an Agricultural Overlay District

The districts are usually delineated on the basis of productiveagricultural soils and contiguous areas of active farms.

Agriculture overlay districts are one way in which a town canallow farms to grow as a use by right - no permits required!

To protect farmers’ rights, buffers are usually required in the design ofnew non-farm development on properties within the overlay districts.

Does your town need help withfarmland issues?

• Does your comprehensive plan highlight the importance offarming in your community?

• Are your land use ordinances farm friendly?

• Is there interest in forming an Agricultural Commission?

• Could farmers benefit from the Voluntary Municipal FarmSupport Program?

Through special grants Maine Farmland Trust is able providetargeted assistance at no cost – ask for a consultation!

Thank you for your interest in farming!

Contact Maine Farmland Trust at:

97 Main Street

Belfast, Maine 04915

phone: (207)338-6575

fax: (207)338-6024

[email protected]

www.mainefarmlandtrust.org


Documents

Cultivating Maine’s Agricultural Future · 2012-01-27 · in local tax revenues than itrequires in services—an averageof $0.37for every dollar of tax revenue collected. Cowsdon’t