—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 15,1977 108 Sale of development rights - a deal By JERRY WEBB University of Delaware NEWARK, Del. - Expect to hear a lot more about green acres m the years ahead as society wrestles with the problem of our ever shinnking open space. The future prospect of wall-to-wall cities, vanish ing farms and no unoccupied land has caused some governmental units to take action. Already several states, including New York and New Jersey, have done Heisey (Continued from Page 107) Class 5: 1. Beth Chapman, Manheim R 5; 2. Scott Siplmg, Marietta Rl; 3. Ron Zimmerman, 4 Richard Strauss, 5. Earl Geib. Class 6; 1. Kevin Rohrer, 2 Tony Eberly, Denver R 2; 3 Steve Hershey, 4. Steve Hershey,s Peg Mullen. Class 7: 1. Nelson Breneman, 2. Gordon Long, Columbia R 3; 3. Ramon Hunt, 4. Steve Hershey, 5. Tony Eberly. Medmmweight champion:- Nelson Breneman. Medmmweight reserve champion: Ron Zim merman. Heavyweight Market Hogs Class 1: 1. Steve Strauss, Ephrata; 2. Rick Strauss, 3. Steve Hershey, 4. Gordon Long, 5. Barry Geib. Class 2: 1 Bob Strauss, 2. Bernadme Gish, 3. Bruce Siplmg, 4. Bruce Siplmg, 5. Kerry Boyd. Class 3: 1. Steve Strauss, something. They have laws or are developing laws that will preserve farmland as a valuable natural asset. As strange as it may sound, farms in some parts of the East are an endangered species. These new preservation programs are going to cost money and iney’re bound to earn non-farm scorn. Farmers who participate may have to endure some abuse for taking “govern ment handouts.” In spite of shows 2. Earl Geib, 3. Kerry Boyd, 4. Barry Geib, 5. Charlie Brown, Millersville Rl. Class 4: 1. Stanley Heisey, 2 Bernadme Gish, 3. Bob Strauss, 4. Bruce Siplmg, 5. Earl Geib, 6. Bernadme Gish. Class 5: 1. Stan Heisey, 2. Rick Strauss, 3. Kerry Boyd, 4. Bernadme Gish, 5. Barry Geib, 6. Earl Geib. Heavyweight Champion Stanley Heisey. Heavyweight reserve champion: Bob Strauss. Champion of show Stanley Heisey. Reserve Champion of show Nelson Breneman Lightweight pairs Champion Kevin Rohrer Medmmweight pairs 1. Beth Chapman, 2. Scott Siplmg, 3. Earl Geib, 4. Rarrvflpih 5. Earl Geib Heavyweight pairs 1. Bob Strauss, 2. Ber nadine Gish, 3. Steve Strauss, 4. Barry Geib. this, the green space programs m their several forms may be the only way to keep some land in agriculture and to assure a little open space between cities. Don’t be surprised if all of the mid-Atlantic states have open space programs before too long. And they’ll cost millions in taxpayer dollars. Consider Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island, where urban pressures are tremendous. That county’s government has started a program that will eventually spend $75 million to keep 15,000 acres from the developers. Farmers who choose to participate sell the development rights to their land to the county. They keep title to the land but must agree to use it only for agriculture or open space. If they sell, the restriction is passed on to the new buyer. In New Jersey a pilot program is getting under way in Burlington County. Five million dollars has been earmarked to buy development easements from farmers. Payment will MORTON BUILDINGS NO.I CHOICE OF FARMERS • WARM OR COLD BARNS • FREE STALL *TIE STALL • MILKING PARLORS WITH FEED ROOMS • BULK ROOMS • MATERNITY AREAS • COMPLETE PLANNING SERVICE The total design concept should be considered when planning a dairy system A Morton representative can show you several barns built for operations similar to yours Then, combining your thoughts with ideas gathered from other systems, you and he can sit down and design a barn to fit your exact needs Ph: 201-454-7900 RD6 Meadville, Pa. 16335 Ph; 814-336-5085 RD2 Box 30 Homer, N.Y. 13077 Ph: 607-749-2611 be based on the difference between market value and value for farming purposes. The farmer who agrees to sell his development rights agrees that no new con struction will take place on his land except for normal farm operations. That restriction stays with the farm no matter who owns it from then on. It’s per manent. That feature may discourage farmers who like to keep their options open. They’ll be reluctant to tie themselves and their heirs to the family farm forever. The know that then they’re through farming, or when their heirs are through, they’ll want to cash in on prevailing land prices. In New Jersey that usually means very high develop ment prices. It will take a large easement payment to discourage a farmer from gamblmg on the future. Those high payments are going to seem out of line to the city dweller who realizes that a farmer will be paid a nice sum to just go right on farming - something he Morton Dairy Barns Custom Engineered for Climate and Equipment « *4* with the devil? planned to do anyway. What they must realize, however, is that he’s actually selling his future. It could be a “deal with the devil” in the proverbial sense of the word. Remember this is a pilot program. It’s just getting under way in New Jersey and the experts dgn’t really * - *■ '• 'V**'' -'" T£> V - MORTON BUILDINGS, INC. . F P.O. Box 399 • Morton, Illinois 61550 L ' r ’ ■ | | Please send more information on Morton Dairy Barns I have a dairy herd of | | Please have your salesman phone me for an appointment EH Please send address of nearest office Name Address Telephone know what’s going to hap pen. Their projections will be much more convincing in two or three years. By then they hope to be able to ex pand the knowlege gained in four townships into a statewide program. In the meantime many other states are watching. ** - < - s. V * ' y-w-JS * 1 . J"' 1 V ' «r ■S ’ i f «i head
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