| The Impact of Vermont's Farmland Conservation Program on Program Participants Executive Summary Prepared for: Prepared By: Release Date: November, 1999 The Northeast Field Office of American Farmland Trust is working with the Vermont Land Trust, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, and the Vermont Department of Agriculture to study the Vermont farmland conservation program, whereby participating farmers sell their land development rights to a government body. The farmers are still able to use or sell the land for agricultural purposes, but the land can never be developed for housing or other non-agricultural uses. The program has been successful in attracting applications for participation, and the American Farmland Trust and its Vermont partners would like to assess the effectiveness of the program. For this study, Market Street Research, Inc. conducted two phases of research. The first phase consisted of in-depth interviews with ten agricultural service providers, such as bank officers and equipment and seed dealers, during March of 1999. For the second phase, Market Street Research conducted telephone interviews with 130 program participants, including 109 who sold their development rights, 17 who bought protected land, and 5 who bought the land when the development rights were sold. These interviews took place in April of 1999. About one-half of the farms are located in the Champlain Valley and the rest are mostly in the counties of Orleans, Caledonia, Orange, and Bennington. The sample included a mix of larger and smaller farms, with an average of 430 acres, and about one-half having between 250 and 500 acres. About three-fourths of the sample consisted of dairy farms. The majority of the program participants work only on the farm; almost all employ household members, and more than one-half employ non-household members. FIGURE A
Overall, the results of this study indicate that most farmers are satisfied with the farmland conservation program (98% very or somewhat satisfied), and that most agricultural service providers think the program has a positive image. The program appears to be meeting its goal of conserving farmland for agricultural uses, both by making it easier for farmers to stay in business and by reducing the costs of entry for new farmers. Most of the program participants are using their protected land for dairy farming, although some use it for vegetable production, hay, maple syrup production, forest products, and beef. The majority of participants are using the funds from the sale of development rights to make capital improvements and improve the cash flow of their farming operations. In general, program participants are using the income from the sale of their development rights to pay debts, or to reinvest in their farms by buying more land or improving buildings. To a lesser extent, participants are creating savings and retirement funds, buying new equipment, supplies, and livestock, or expanding in other ways, such as hiring more employees. (Please see Figure B below) FIGURE B
The desire to conserve farmland for agricultural purposes is a key reason for participating in the conservation program. Many participants and agricultural service providers mentioned the philosophy of the conservation program and the desire to protect the land from development as a major reason for participation. Other notable reasons for participating include the ability to reduce debt or purchase land inexpensively, the ability to expand farming operations, and the ability to preserve land for future family generations. Most participants are satisfied with the program, and do not regret their decision to join. FIGURE C
Almost three-fourths of participants used the proceeds to improve or expand their farms. In addition to reducing debt and making capital improvements, about one-fourth made specific operational changes. These changes included establishing new conservation practices and new farm management practices as well as branching out into new agricultural enterprises FIGURE D
FIGURE E
The effectiveness of the farmland conservation program will be best measured over the long term. That is, will the program conserve farmland and help strengthen agriculture in Vermont? The survey results showed that over 20% of the land would have been sold for some kind of non-farm development if the program did not exist. Further, the program has had a very positive impact on participants’ attitudes toward farming and conservation. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, the survey results revealed that almost three-fourths of the participants report that the program has had a very positive (39.2%) or somewhat positive (34.2%) impact on their families’ ability to stay in farming. Similarly, about two-thirds think that participating in the program has made it more likely they will pass the farm on to children or family members (42.4% very positive impact and 25.4% somewhat positive impact). Recommendations Farmland conservation program participants are very satisfied with the program overall, and the program has a generally positive image among agricultural service providers. The increased number of applications to the program is also a sign that the program is meeting the needs of farmers and that it has a positive reputation overall. In order to remain a successful program in the short- and long-term future, there are some areas of improvement that were revealed in this study that the program could address. For more information about the American Farmland Trust, please visit their web site at http://www.farmland.org/northeast/index.htm These links provide other information about VLT's farmland conservation program:
The following links provide information for you, if you are interested in conserving land that is not a working farm:
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