Ohio farms ran ked for ag easement money: Landowners band for better chance

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Ohio’s Farmland Preservation Advisory Board recently recommended 14 farms for farmland preservation funding to Ohio Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey.

A total of $3.1 million from the Clean Ohio Fund Clean will be used to purchase agricultural easements on these farms to preserve them in perpetuity.

Pending review. The Ohio Department of Agriculture plans to purchase agricultural easements from the top 14 eligible ranking scores, pending legal review, title search, boundary review, and any necessary subordination of third party interests.

The farms, totaling approximately 2,862 acres, were selected from the 271 applications from 30 counties received by the department’s Office of Farmland Preservation in March.

If any farms drop out for any reason, they will be replaced by the next eligible highest-scoring farm on the list.

Since its inception in 2002, this program has preserved approximately 6,423 acres.

Dailey said 13 of the 14 farmland owners donated 50 percent of the value of their agricultural easement. The IRS considers such a donation a gift and the landowner may be eligible for federal tax benefits.

Final round next year. Applications for the final funding round will be available in early 2005.

For a complete list of the farms and scores or for more information on the program visit www.ohioagriculture.gov/farmland.stm.

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Farm Owner      Acres      Nearest Town      County



E.M. Roberts Farm Limited Partnership      461      South Charleston      Clark



Emerson and Agnes Voge Trust      80      West Alexandria      Preble



Rodney and Emily Kuntz, Joan Kuntz      79      Delta      Fulton



Roger and Rebekah Voge      80      West Alexandria      Preble



DRJ Farms, Ronald and John Harbage      445      South Charleston      Clark



Frederick Voge      295      West Alexandria      Preble



William and JoAnn Lange      222      West Alexandria      Preble



Sutherly Land, LLC, William Sutherly, et al.      77      Troy      Miami



Leslie and Debra Haas      124      Delta      Fulton



James Soltis Jr.      204      Garrettsville      Geauga



Eddie and Marcia Shelton      155      Marion      Marion



Brian and Kathleen McClarren      97      Delta      Fulton



Lawrence and Leisa Onweller      154      Delta      Fulton



Harold and Josephine Blackford      167      Middlefield      Geauga