Ontario Farmland Trust Pushes Parties On Farmland Preservation

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The Ontario Farmland Trust is welcoming a move by the provincial Liberals and calling on the other provincial party leaders to follow suit.

The Liberals unveiled their ‘Farms Forever’ program this week, describing it as an enhanced and collaborative approach to farmland protection.

The Ontario Farmland Trust says it formally recognizes farmland protection as a key issue in the province.

Now the Trust wants the other party leaders to speak to how their election platforms address protection of farmland.

The Liberal program includes offering willing farmers tax advantages or other incentives to protect their farms with easements.

Those easements would prevent future non-agricultural developments on that land.

Easements are a part of the Ontario Farmland Trust’s own Farmland Forever campaign to protect agricultural land.

By Ray Baynton
Posted on BlackburnNews, May 22, 2014