With the farmland preservation program, the quality and location of farms can be targeted to preserve and prevent them from being permanently lost to development. Agriculture offers a special quality of life that most residents in Hunterdon County enjoy. It stabilizes property taxes because farms require less governmental services than residential development. It also maintains clean air by generating little traffic, provides fresh local produce , and offers attractive vistas . The majority of residents in Hunterdon County depend on ground water for their drinking water supply.
Farmland provides groundwater recharge areas.
These are areas that allow rain water to filter back into the ground. In turn, by preserving farmland, we are contributing to the conservation of water . Through various public forums and opinion surveys, Hunterdon County residents have clearly stated their desire to preserve the County's rural character. The Hunterdon County Farmland Preservation Program and newly adopted Open Space Trust Fund are aggressively seeking to achieve this goal. In November 1998, statewide funding for farmland preservation dramatically increased with the establishment of a dedicated funding source.