36 farms entering preservation program

In 1991, the General Assembly passed legislation, signed into law by Gov. Michael N. Castle, to create the framework for the Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation, which oversees the preservation program with staffing support from Department of Agriculture employees. The first funding was allocated in 1995 during Gov. Thomas R. Carper’s administration and the first easement selections were made in 1996.

The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation easements are available for viewing through an online dashboard athttps://de.gov/agdashboard. The Foundation selects farms approved for easement purchase using an impartial discounted ranking system.

 The foundation does not own the land but purchases landowners’ development rights and places a permanent agricultural conservation easement on the property. Landowners must first voluntarily enroll their farm into a 10-year preservation district and are eligible for permanent preservation the year after they apply.

 This year’s easements include properties in all three First State counties. Each county government contributed toward the preservation costs of selected easements, with the breakdown below. 

• Sussex County: $1,917,156 for eight easements
• New Castle County: $225,769 for one easement
• Kent County: $100,000 for seven easements

“Sussex County is proud to continue its partnership with the State of Delaware in this very worthwhile program, and we’re especially excited to be making the largest contribution ever by the County government to ensure agriculture remains visible and viable in the First State,” Sussex County Council President Douglas B. Hudson said. “Agriculture is more than our No. 1 industry. It’s a way of life, a part of our heritage and our legacy, one that we must do everything in our power to protect for the generations to come.”

 The Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation’s Board has extended the 2026 deadline for new agriculture district applications to  Oct. 31. Any current district, or new district that applies by the deadline, will be eligible submit an offer for permanent preservation in 2026.

 “This is a great time to think about preserving your farm because farmland values are going up, which increases our easement appraisals,” said Jimmy Kroon, chief of planning for the Delaware Department of Agriculture. “This means we are paying more than ever for agriculture easements, at least double what we may have paid five to 10 years ago. I’d encourage any landowner interested in farm preservation to call us to have a conversation about what the process is like.”

 Delaware farmers interested in preserving their farms must  meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Property must be zoned for agriculture and not subject to any major subdivision plan.
• The property meets the minimum Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) score of 170. LESA is a process that attempts to estimate the farm’s long-term viability based on the farm’s soil productivity, land use, and agriculture infrastructure on and around the farm. Scores range from 0-300. Aglands program staff calculate the LESA score when applications are received.
• The property must be working farmland with at least $1,000 in agricultural sales annually and generally have at least 10 acres of cropland.
• Farms of 200 acres or more constitute an agricultural district.
• Farms under 200 acres can enter the program if it is within 3 miles of an existing agricultural district. 

Further information or to obtain applications related to the Delaware Aglands Preservation Program, interested landowners can visithttps://de.gov/aglands or call (302) 698-4531.