New Farmland Preservation Programs in New York

New York State and Suffolk County have sought new means for solving the problem of preserving farmland. Agricultural districting, developed at the state level, provides farmers in semi-rural areas with an opportunity to protect themselves on a voluntary basis from some of the rising costs and governmental actions usually associated with urbanization. Development rights purchase, developed in Suffolk County, provides farmers with an opportunity to voluntarily sell the nonfarm portion of their land's value, thus eliminating most of the problems interfering with farming in semi-suburban areas. Other areas may find the experience with agricultural districts and development rights purchase in New York helpful.