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Farmland protection update: committee hears progress, funding and staffing hurdles
Summary
Kane County farmland protection staff reported roughly 6,000 acres protected (about 7,000 including in‑progress holdings), 1,000 on a waiting list and 245 acres interested; staff cited USDA 50% matching structure, county minimum contribution policy and staffing/appraisal shortages slowing closings.
Sari Castro presented the Kane County Farmland Protection Program’s year‑end update on Dec. 18, reporting that about 6,000 acres are protected with roughly 1,000 additional acres in progress and 1,000 on a waiting list. Castro said another 245 acres have expressed interest but have not submitted applications.
Castro described funding constraints that slow enrollments: USDA typically funds 50% of an easement’s appraised value and, per county policy, the county contributes up to a minimum of $5,000 per acre when appraisals come in below that threshold. She told the committee that staffing shortages at USDA and at the county, plus a limited number of qualified appraisers, cause lengthy delays between application and closing.
"We usually say 7,000 acres protected," Castro said, explaining the breakdown of protected versus in‑progress acres. She added that the county has roughly 158,900 agricultural‑assessed acres, meaning protected acreage represents a small percentage (about 2%) of the county's agricultural land.
The presentation noted the 2018 farm bill has been extended through Sept. 30, 2026, and staff are awaiting new farm bill rules. Castro also described soil health baseline sampling performed on four farms and said the results will help inform future conservation work.
Committee members asked for additional data on historically underserved farmers and whether forest‑preserve agricultural parcels were counted; staff confirmed forest‑preserve agricultural parcels are included in the protected total and said the definition of "historically underserved" follows USDA guidance and will be provided on request. The committee requested staff provide further breakdowns if available.
