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| Linda Gentile |
The agreement increases flexibility in the use of federal funds through the state’s Farmland Preservation Program.
More than 300 state farms have been protected under the program,
including nearly 100 achieved with $20 million in assistance from the
federal USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and
Ranchland Protection Program.
“This funding will be used to ensure that our state’s farms – some of the best in the country – will continue producing Connecticut Grown products and keep our beautiful lands and natural resources preserved,” Malloy said. “Connecticut continues to lead New England in the growth rate of farms over the past couple of years, where the agriculture industry contributes $3.5 billion to our economy and provides nearly 28,000 jobs in our state.
"I remain committed to the growth of this crucial industry and to the hard working families of Connecticut who work in it,” she said.
“Federal, state and local stakeholders must work together to help preserve Connecticut’s family farms,” Gentile said. “This agreement helps local farmers keep our land productive for years to come and feed a multi-billion dollar economic engine that equals jobs in our state. I applaud the work of Governor Malloy and Commissioner Reviczky.”
The agreement will extend all NRCS farmland-protection funds obligated to Connecticut until March 31, 2015, giving the state greater flexibility in negotiating agreements with farm owners wishing to participate in the program.
“The permanent protection of working farms is a long-standing priority in Connecticut that has been extraordinarily successful in keeping prime and important farmland in production,” Reviczky said.
“With our federal partners we have preserved more than 13,000 acres of farmland, and this agreement will ensure that we continue to keep more of our working lands in productive farming.”
This is a press release from Gentile's office.
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