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Rhode Island Farmland Preservation Program

The Challenge

Land in Rhode Island is very expensive which makes farming a difficult proposition economically, especially for new and beginning farmers.

The Approach

This program uses state funding obtained through voter-approved bonds for farmland protection, and is leveraged with funding from USDA, local land trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and other NGOs.

By The Numbers

Since it started in 1985 this program has preserved 7,979 acres for farming in Rhode Island that might have otherwise been lost to development.

  • Number of acres preserved: 7,979
  • Number of parcels preserved: 117
  • State dollars invested since program started: $36,446,450
  • Total dollars invested since program started: $98,236,101

Preserve and Grow Agriculture Industries

This program directly increases the number of acres available for farming and the number of farms in Rhode Island.

Program Description

The Rhode Island Farmland Preservation Program ensures that Rhode Island’s agricultural land is preserved for agricultural uses in perpetuity by acquiring development rights to farmland in the state. This program is run by the Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission (ALPC), a quasi-governmental organization staffed by the RI Department of Environmental Management.

The Rhode Island Farmland Preservation Program of the state Department of Environmental Management is headed by the Agricultural Land Preservation Commission (ALPC). ALPC meetings are generally held monthly, and all meeting notices and minutes are posted with the Secretary of State. Program Applications are accepted year round and are evaluated and scored at monthly meetings of the ALPC based on criteria that includes: parcel size; soil quality; agricultural operation and viability; protection of water supplies and quality; open space, cultural and scenic features; flood protection; relative development pressure; and consistency with state and local plans. Funding for this program is obtained through voter-approved bonds for farmland protection, and is leveraged with funding from USDA, local land trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and other NGOs. The list of all protected farms to date through the ALPC is available for viewing and download. If this program didn’t exist there would be fewer acres of farmland, fewer farms, and fewer farmers in the state.

Future Plans

Over the next 3-5 years, RIDEM plans to introduce more parcels to more farmers, further strengthening the RI food system. The goal of this program, to preserve agricultural land in Rhode Island for agricultural uses, will remain the same into the future. As long as the people of Rhode Island continue to approve bonds for farmland protection this program will increase the total number of acres and total number of parcels preserved for farming in our state.

This Rhode Island Story was prepared by Nessa Richman.

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