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

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Evolution of a New Comp Plan

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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