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Agriculture secretary requests $10 million for farmland easements and urges larger cover‑crop investment
Summary
Delaware Department of Agriculture told the Bond Bill Committee it seeks $10 million for farmland preservation and flagged a larger unmet demand for cover‑crop cost share; the Ag Production Insurance Assistance program has launched with $2 million in the operating budget.
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Clifton (title used here as in the transcript) briefed the Bond Bill Committee March 26 on the department’s fiscal 2026 capital requests and agricultural priorities, calling for $10 million for farmland easement purchases and urging additional cover‑crop funding to meet rising demand from farmers.
Clifton told the committee the department is requesting the “full funding of $10,000,000 for farmland preservation.” He said the agency currently has 287 farms undergoing appraisal in Round 29, representing roughly 29,500 acres that are eligible for easement purchases; because land prices have risen sharply, Clifton estimated it would cost about $150 million to buy all 287 easements at the average discounted rates landowners have offered.
Why it matters: Delaware’s…
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