Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board

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Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan

The Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan was developed under the direction of the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board and through the efforts of the County Departments of Planning and Real Property Tax Services, the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, with the assistance of Agricultural Development Associates, the American Farmland Trust, and Peter J. Smith and Company. The plan is intended to preserve the agricultural land resource, direct development away from farming areas, and to support the economic contributions of agriculture and related businesses. The project was initiated to maintain and protect agriculture, which is Genesee County's largest industry and predominant land use. The primary objective of the project was to develop a plan that would focus not only on agricultural land preservation techniques but also, and perhaps most importantly, on the long-term economic viability of the agricultural industry in Genesee County. The plan development process was based on the premise that farm profitability is the fundamental element of agricultural protection.

Throughout the process of developing the plan, citizen participation was emphasized. It was felt that in order to develop an effective and successful Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan for Genesee County, it would be essential that those most familiar with agriculture in the County participate in the planning process. Numerous informal meetings and conversations were held between the consulting team, the involved County Departments, local farming organizations, individual farmers, agribusinesses and other representatives of the farming community. The planning process resulted in the development of a viable plan for Genesee County's agricultural future. The Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan was officially adopted by the Genesee County Legislature on November 14, 2001, and approved by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets on April 8, 2002.

Components of the Plan

The major components of the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan are the "Farmland Protection Plan" and the "Agricultural Development Plan".

Farmland Protection Plan	Agricultural Development Plan
Plan Implementation Strategy	Members of Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board
Genesee County Agricultural District Annual Enrollment Form ( pdf 105kb )
New York Agricultural Landowner Guide: A Guide to Public Farmland Conservation Programs

Planning Home Page

Farmland Protection Plan

The Farmland Protection Plan sets forth a series of eleven sequential recommendations that lead, ultimately, to the creation of "Enhanced Agricultural Districts" and a County-Wide Purchase of Development Rights Program. This plan includes background information on Agricultural Land Preservation in New York, an analysis of techniques used within the discipline, and case studies of best practices that are relevant to Genesee County's unique situation.

No.	Farmland Protection Plan Recommendations
1	Refine the Strategic Farmland Map and incorporate it into the Smart Growth Plan - The map itself should become a companion to the Smart Growth Plan and be used with it to inform town decision-making on land use and infrastructure issues.
2	Reaffirm the importance of existing agricultural districts especially with regard to water and sewer extensions - The decision of one or more towns to allow lateral access without extenuating circumstances could create a precedent that endangers agricultural district integrity as well as other farmland protection measures throughout the county.
3	Conduct an ‘audit’ of each town's zoning and subdivision provisions and recent past development patterns to help the towns understand the potential impact on maintaining a critical mass of farmland - Once the audits are conducted the County Planning Department and the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board should host a summit of all town officials to present results and discuss alternatives.
4	Consider the designation of an ‘agricultural production zone’- The concentration of large, highly-productive farms in Genesee County as well as smaller farms clustered together may lend themselves to a designation of a zone to protect the land's ‘highest and best use’ – production agriculture.
5	Consider use of incentive zoning as a mitigation tool - Take the opportunity with incentive zone to leverage protected land or protection funds when upzoning land within the Smart Growth Development areas.
6	Develop new funding sources specifically for a farmland protection fund - See farmland protection as ‘avoidance of future infrastructure costs, find ways now to tap the engine of the coming develop’ and protect the investment you make.
7	Create ‘Enhanced Agricultural District Program’ for mid-term protection of Farmland - Involves a voluntary commitment to restrict non-farm development for a period of 10 years, with automatic re-enrollment, in exchange for annual payments and priority in Genesee County's participation in the state's PDR program.
8	Prepare to Purchase Development Rights - Set an acreage goal, develop dedicated revenue sources, refine the selection components, and position Genesee County, with its exceptional resources to make maximum use of increasing State PDR funding.
9	Integrate a farmland protection component into the County's public education efforts about agriculture.
10	Conduct periodic estate planning seminars for farmers and professionals.
11	Advocate for implementation of the Agriculture Development Plan.

Agricultural Development Plan

The Agricultural Development Plan consists of a menu of options for agricultural economic development opportunities. Realistically, the County will not be able to implement all aspects of these recommendations, but expects that this list should spark a debate that helps to further classify, refine, and prioritize agricultural development initiatives. The Agricultural Development Plan identifies six key focus areas:

Economic Development
Business Development
Policy and Planning
Work Force Development
Public Outreach and Education
Regulation and Legislation.

Plan Implementation Strategy

The strategy for the implementation of the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan is relatively simple. Priorities will be developed by the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. Local agencies will then be assigned responsibility and authority for appropriate components of the individual recommendations in order to implement them. To facilitate implementation, the County will integrate various elements of the plan into its Comprehensive Planning process. The Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board will continually monitor the implementation of specific programs and policies and reassess priorities. Implementation of the Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan hinges on public buy-in relative to the recommendations contained in the plan; therefore, an effective public education program is essential.

For more detailed information on Genesee County's Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan, contact the Department of Planning at (585) 344-2580, Ext. 5467.

Agricultural Data Statement ( pdf 132 kb )