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 zoning2. Land Trust3. Ag TIF district
Rom
an
Tak
e C
harg
e
Ag
zone
s
Ag
TIF
Hor
izon
New
Com
m.
Pub
lic h
earin
g
1992
1999
2000
2002
-3Ja
n 1
2005
Sept
15
2005
Evolution of a New Comp Plan
new
pla
n ad
opt
Nov
10,
200
5
Land
trus
t
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 3-01-00 assessment
based on 3-01-01 assessment
based on 3-01-02 assessment
based on 3-03-2003 assessment
2000 2001 20022003
payable 01 payable 02 payable 03 payable 04
Cumulative total
Total RE tax due $11,727.04 $ 12,159.46 $12,640.74 $13,192.20 $49,719.44
TIF payment $ 3,241.96 $ 3,365.08 $ 2,880.48 $ 3,020.90 $12,508.42
25%
Did we make a difference?
• According to US Ag Census
• Land in farms 1997 192,217 acres
• Land in farms 2002 200,879 acres
USDA Census Taker
Discovering the real secret inTale of Two Counties
• Randolph County – new 1,500 cow dairy vs. weird science and wacko environmentalists
• Elkhart County
Elkhart Randolph
Cattle 44,500 6,000
Dairy 17,500 700
Hogs 74,000 51,000
Poultry 3,000,000 180,000
Horses 3,751 560
Goats 250 0
People 191,000 27,191
Ag Picture – Too Much Poop?
Elkhart Randolph
Housing Units 72,488 10,937 02 est.
Ave. Earnings /job$31,00
0 $25,882 00 est.
# firms 14,048 1,958 1997
Manufact. Shipments $8.90 bil. $3.60 mil. 1997
Retail Sales $1.90 bil. $1.50 mil. 1997
Employment148,75
1 11,830 2000Source : Indiana Department of Commerce website
The Economic Picture
Elkhart RankRandolph Rank
Market value ag $136 mil 1 $70 mil 25
# of farms
1,516
786
farmland 200,879
257,846
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 : 2.8275
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
