The Secret to Farmland Preservation In Indiana Revealed At Last

Can agriculture survive an Elkhart County experience?

Elkhart County Ag business preservation tools 1. Agriculture zoning 2. Land Trust 3. Ag TIF district

Roman Take Charge Ag zones Ag TIF Horizon New Comm. Public hearing Jan Sept Evolution of a New Comp Plan new plan adopt Nov 10, 2005 Land trust

Ag Zoning A-3 Farmland Preservation District A-4 Confined Feeding Protection District A-5 Intensive Livestock District Purpose – public participation, protection of activities and community planning.

Land Trust -- Wood Land Lakes RCD Acres protected in NE Indiana –900 acres total –190 acres in Elkhart county Purpose- protects land from development in perpetuity.

Ag TIF District Leases development rights to Elkhart County Redevelopment Commission Term: year-to-year basis unless owners provide written notice to Redevelopment commission Payments: 95% of tax incremental finance revenues Termination penalty: revenues paid to owners last 10 years plus 6% interest

based on assessment based on assessment based on assessment based on assessment payable 01payable 02payable 03 payable 04 Cumulative total Total RE tax due $11, $ 12, $12, $13, $49, TIF payment $ 3, $ 3, $ 2, $ 3, $12, %

Did we make a difference? According to US Ag Census Land in farms ,217 acres Land in farms ,879 acres

USDA Census Taker

Discovering the real secret in Tale of Two Counties Randolph County – new 1,500 cow dairy vs. weird science and wacko environmentalists Elkhart County

ElkhartRandolph Cattle44,500 6,000 Dairy 17, Hogs74,000 51,000 Poultry3,000, ,000 Horses3, Goats250 0 People 191,000 27,191 Ag Picture – Too Much Poop?

ElkhartRandolph Housing Units72,488 10, est. Ave. Earnings /job$31,000 $25, est. # firms 14,048 1, Manufact. Shipments $8.90bil.$3.60mil Retail Sales$1.90bil.$1.50mil.1997 Employment148,751 11, Source : Indiana Department of Commerce website The Economic Picture

Elkhart Rank Randolph Rank Market value ag$136 mil1$70 mil25 # of farms 1, farmland 200, ,846 Fruit, nuts, trees 2 Sheep, Goats, horses 2 cattle, calves 1 ducks 2 Christmas trees 1 milk, dairy products 2 acres corn silage 1 soybeans 2 Source: NASS Ag State Rankings

The Farmland Preservation Secret Profitable farming with Livestock and ag diversity

Add one 1,500 cow dairy farm 70 # per cow per day $13.50 per cwt. milk price U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Dairy Industry multiplier :

Add one 1,500 cow dairy farm Gross sales =$5.2 mil. Multiplier = $14.6 mil. Randolph County Manufacturing shipments in 1997 = $3.6 mil. Randolph county value of Ag. Production in 2002 = $70 mil.

Counties are already applying the secret

Planning for Agriculture: Benton & White County, IN

Benton County, IN Comprehensive Plan

Specialized Land Use Issues General Agriculture Confined Feeding Operations (CFO) Bio Industries Landfill Wind Farms

White County, IN Zoning Ordinance

White County CFO Locations

The Farmland Preservation Secret Profitable farming with Livestock and ag diversity Agriculture protection zoning Comprehensive plan supporting ag