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Board discusses outreach plans, assessor outreach and PDR sign visibility; to revisit sign updates in March
Summary
Members discussed hosting community-focused meetings (including an August event at the Kent County Youth Fair), outreach to beginning farmers and FFA advisors, and agreed to review PDR sign visibility and the possibility of farm-name plaques at the March meeting.
At its Feb. 4 meeting the Kent County Agriculture Preservation Board discussed ways to make its work more community focused and to improve outreach for the 2026 PDR application cycle. Elizabeth Brost (Agricultural Interest) and other members raised hosting the August meeting at the Kent County Youth Fair and reaching out to beginning farmers and FFA advisors as possible ways to broaden engagement.
Haley Stichman, county staff, said she would contact the county’s equalization department about assessors’ information gaps on preserved parcels and would reach out to FFA advisors to explore collaborations. Brost recommended sharing a State Tax Commission memo as a resource for local assessors.
The board also discussed Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) sign visibility. Brost noted that farm names were previously displayed on smaller plaques beneath signs and said that plaques provided a meaningful acknowledgment of original landowners. The board reached consensus to revisit potential sign updates at the March meeting and requested examples for consideration.
During board member updates staff reported outreach steps for the application cycle: postcards were mailed to all Kent County landowners announcing the PDR application opening and informational sessions; a press release will be distributed to media outlets and township offices to promote the Feb. 19 session; staff will review and share the list of invited townships with the Ag Board to ensure appropriate engagement.
