Beside the obvious fact that we rely on America's farms for our food production, there are many other ways in which we rely on farm and ranch land. Farmers and ranchers pay more in local tax revenues than they require in local government services. Residential land uses, in contrast, are a net drain on municipal coffers. As we lose farmland, our wildlife is endangered. American traditions fade as our nation loses farmland.
Farmland protection is an investment in the backbone of our economy.
The loss of prime agricultural land to development, the health of our watersheds and the future of private forestlands are some of the critical issues facing the Nation. It AFT works to save farmland through several farmland protection tools and techniques. Some techniques result in programs enacted and administered at the state level, while others are used primarily by local governments. Many of the most effective farmland protection programs combine regulatory and incentive-based strategies. Programs that are generally enacted at the state level include agricultural district laws, which allow farmers to form special areas where commercial agriculture is encouraged and protected.