Permanently Protecting Farmland

Some farmers in Jefferson County could be getting paid to protect their land.

It’s part of a program offered by the state to save farmland from development.

Selected farmers would give up those development rights, but be compensated.

County Agricultural Coordinator Jay Matteson says the money can go a long way from some farmers.

“The money that they receive, if they’re still actively farming, that can be put back into the operation and if they need to upgrade milking facilities or some other infrastructure development. That money can be used to do that,” he said.

In 2006, there were approximately 970 farms operating on 326,000 acres of land in Jefferson County.

An informational meeting will be held Wednesday at 7p.m. in the conference room of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County at 203 North Hamilton Street in Watertown.

More information is available at www.comefarmwithus.com/AgFarmlandProtection.htm