The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development along with the Agricultural Preservation Fund Board are pleased to announce the FY 2021 grant funding cycle for the Michigan Agricultural Preservation Fund.

The Michigan Agricultural Preservation Fund and Agricultural Preservation Fund Board were established in 2000 under Part 362 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). The act provides for the establishment of the Agricultural Preservation Fund, the creation of the Board, the development of an application procedure, selection criteria and the adoption of various standards and guidelines for the awarding of grants by the Board.  

Fund Purpose

• To provide grants to eligible local units of government for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements through Purchase of Development Rights programs (PDRs) to preserve farmland.
• To provide funds for the state Purchase of Development Rights Program if a fund balance of greater than $5 million remains after making grants to local units of government and providing for administrative costs.

Funding Information

This year, up to $250,000 will be set aside for a new program to be awarded funds to close on a property/farm.

Criteria

The Agricultural Preservation Fund Board will establish selection criteria. The criteria will place a priority on farmland that has one or more of the following:

• Farmland that has a productive capacity suited for the production of feed, food and fiber.
• Farmland that would complement and is part of a long-range plan for land preservation by the local unit of government in which the farmland is located.
• Farmland located in an area that would complement other land protection efforts by creating a block of protected farmland.
• Farmland that has a greater portion or percentage of the agricultural easement value provided by the local unit of government or sources other than the Fund.
• Other factors considered important by the board.

For more information, visit MDARD.