GREENVILLE – Darke Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is pleased to announce that applications for the Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) are now available.

The LAEPP provides funding to farmland owners for placing a perpetual agricultural easement on their property. This permanent, voluntary easement is a legally binding restriction placed on a farm that will forever protect your farmland from development. LAEPP is a very competitive program that allows the current owners to continue to own the land as well as preserve the productivity of their farm for future generations.

The LAEPP easement requires the farm remain permanently in agriculture production. Selected farms must be 40 acres or more, actively engaged in farming, participate in the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program, demonstrate good stewardship of the land, have the support of their local government and not lay directly in the path of development. Landowners may use the proceeds of the easement in any way they wish, but most reinvest it in their farm operations.

If you own a farm in Darke County and are interested in preserving the farmland, you can visit www.darkeswcd.com to learn more about the program and request an application. For additional information and questions call the Darke SWCD office at 937-548-1715, extension 3. The local deadline to apply is January 31, 2020.