Agriculture

Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program

The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing an agricultural easement on their property. Monies are issued for up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm’s development rights. A payment cap has been set at $2,000 per acre, with a maximum of $500,000 per farm. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land to successive owners.Funds from the purchase of these easements are invested in the local economy by the landowners who use them by expanding their farming operations, purchasing new equipment, reducing debt, adding conservation practices, planning for retirement, sending their children to college or for other purposes. When the state purchases a farmland easement, the proceeds are plowed into Ohio’s economy.
What is an agricultural easement?
How does a landowner apply?
An agricultural easement is a voluntary and legally-binding restriction placed on a farm. The easement limits the use of the land to predominantly agricultural activity. The land remains under private ownership and management and stays on the tax rolls under Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV). The farmland can be sold or passed along as a gift to others at any time, but the restriction prohibiting non-agricultural development stays with the land.
Landowners must apply for Clean Ohio funds through local governments (such as counties, townships, and municipalities), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), or a charitable organization. These entities are referred to as “local sponsors,” and once they are certified, they have the ability to submit applications on a landowner’s behalf to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) for consideration. Application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact a potential local sponsor.
What are the program requirements?
  • The following requirements must be met by the farmland and owner at the time of application submission:
  • The farm must be enrolled in CAUV and the Agricultural District Program through the county auditor’s office.
  • The farm must be a minimum of 40 acres unless the farm is adjacent to a preserved farm, then it must be a minimum of 25 acres. NOTE: Farms that are 10-24 acres and also share a substantial border with permanently protected land compatible with agriculture must submit a written request with supporting documentation before eligibility for application can be determined.
  • The farmland owner must certify that the property does not contain hazardous substances.
  • The farmland owner must have been in compliance with state and federal agricultural laws for the past five years.
  • The farmland owner must have possession of the clear title to the applicant property.
  • The local sponsor must agree to share monitoring and enforcement responsibilities.
  • A minimum of 25 percent of the points-based appraised value of the agricultural easement must be provided either in cash match by the local sponsor, donation by the landowner, or a combination of donation and cash match.
  • Property may be sold as one unit in the future with the easement attached. The property may not be split and sold as separate parcels and only one home is permitted on the entire parcel.
Additional information:
Clean Ohio LAEPP Brochure
LAEPP Handbook
Have Questions? Contact Carmella Shale at (440) 834-1122 or cshale@geauga.oh.gov
Interested in Applying?
Applications are closed for 2024. Applications will be accepted again starting January 2025.

Reducing Your Risk of Nutrient Runoff

Attention Farmers ~ Is there a chance for rain on the days you plan on applying? Do not apply during or before a rain event and lower your chances of nutrient runoff by first checking the Ohio Applicator Forecast. The Ohio Applicator Forecast is designed to help nutrient applicators identify times when the weather-risk for applying is low. The risk forecast is created by the National Weather Service and takes precipitation, temperature, and snowmelt data to estimate the amount of water in each area. This amount of water is used with soil data, such as texture and depth, to determine how much should soak into the ground, and how much should flow over the surface.

Farming for the Future

The Farming for the Future newsletter is delivered to your email four times a year. This series is targeted to be a quick reference guide for farmers regarding agricultual conservation topics. Find past articles below.

Ohio Historic Family Farms Program

The Ohio Department of Agriculture recognizes the many social, economic, and historic contributions made by Ohio's founding farm families. Ohio's Historic Family Farms program was developed to honor these families for their enduring legacy to our state. A new interactive map of Ohio bicentennial farms proudly showcases 3 found in Geauga County. If you have a historic farm in Geauga County and receive a historic designation Geauga SWCD would like to celebrate your farm by purchasing the sign. Please fill out the approriate and form and submit to Geauga SWCD.

The program grants three designations based on the number of years of same-family ownership:
Century Farms (100-149 years)
Sesquicentennial Farms (150-199 years)
Bicentennial Farms (200 years and more)

Agriculture, the Geauga Way

In 2018 two Ohio Historic Family Farms in Geauga County received Bicentennial status-The Haskins and Clarke/Sudyk

The Haskins Family Farm-1818

2018 Bicentennial Farm

The Clarke/Sudyk Family Farm-1818

2018 Bicentennial Farm

The Ratzenberger Family Farm-1915

1995 Century Farm

Bicentennial Farms: Treasures from the Past

Even a short drive through Geauga County’s countryside will unmistakably give you the pleasure of witnessing one of the 16 Century Farms designated in Geauga County and the list continues to grow…
Something special took place in 2018! Not one but two farms have reached bicentennial stature this year. How amazing is it that not only has a farm been in operation for that long, but also by the same family for over 200 years!
The Haskins Farm located at 17199 Haskins Road in Bainbridge Township is owned by Curtis and Deborah Cook. It was originally over 160 acres and currently is still a working farm at nearly 70 acres. In 1818 the land was purchased by Phillip Haskins, Sr. and his wife Lovisa McFarland for $2.50 an acre. Phillip was originally from Massachusetts as his third great-grandfather arrived here from England in 1733. Phillip and Lovisa (married in 1811) left Massachusetts and followed the McFarland family to Ohio. The couple raised their children in the original farmhouse until the construction of the current home in 1843 for $300 and a barrel of whiskey. The farmhouse has been at the center of happiness as fifth and sixth generations of Haskins were raised here and proudly stands to this day. Years later their fourth son, Commodore Perry Haskins, and his wife Cynthia chose to remain on the farm and had five children. One was Clarence Perry, Curtis’ great-grandfather who married Flora Bonney in 1890. Over the years the farm was used for crops, dairy and maple sugaring. Flora was a hard worker and a strong woman who proudly was the first woman in Geauga County to vote. In 1897 Clarence was one of the founders of the Bainbridge Telephone Company and the first line he put in was to connect the sugar house to the family home. Clarence and Flora operated the farm until Clarence’s death in 1940 at which time their sons split the property. One son, Leslie, took the east portion for dairy cows and sheep. His other son Albert took the west and raised produce and livestock. Both brothers had a sugar house and sold maple syrup. Albert’s portion of the property was sold following his death in 1964 to a local developer. However, the original barn built in the 1800s and original farmhouse remained on the unsold property and is still there today with a few additions to meet the needs of the changing times. Curtis and his sisters Janice Cook-Swanson and Jennifer Cook-Forbush, both of Columbus, all have fond memories of the farm. It is a proud family with a long lineage residing at the Haskins Farm. Delicious maple syrup is still harvested from 40 acres of the farm woodland and has won “Best Maple Syrup Producer” at the Geauga County Maple Festival. As the farm celebrates 200 years, so does the family as they prepare for a 200 year family reunion in the upcoming months…amazing!
Our second bicentennial treasure is the Clarke/Sudyk Farm (originally known as the Bonniecrest Farm) at 12050 Madison Road in Huntsburg. The farm was established February of 1818 when Ebenezer Clark IV and his wife Lucy purchased nearly 200 acres of land. Over the years acres were sold and the farm now stands firmly at 100 acres. They traveled here from Northampton, Massachusetts with their sixth child on the way. Truman, Harry T. and Harry W. Clarke continued to farm the land until Hal and Ethel Clarke inherited the farm. The farm was maintained primarily as a dairy farm, while also selling eggs and Christmas trees at a mere 75 cents in the 40s, which is a far cry from the $50-$70 for trees today! Hal and Ethel’s daughter Helen and her husband John Sudyk built the farmhouse in 1945 with the original 12 room farmhouse from the 1820s still standing close by. John shared a special memory with a smile. He said, “She waited for me…we built the home, loved it and her ever since.” The original barn, which housed the 30 Holstein and later Brown Swiss, was torn down over the years; however, the horse barn remains. As for many during World War II times were tough. Men were away and the women had to balance family and their livelihood. Helen and her sister Katherine (Kay) Dietrich have fond memories of hard work and strong family ties. While Helen was working hard on the farm, her husband was storming the beaches of Normandy. His battalion also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, which was the longest battle on German ground during WWII. His battalion then marched to Paris. John’s story “John Sudyk: The Soldier of 10,000 Rounds,” along with 36 other soldiers' stories can be found in the book “Forever a Soldier” by Tom Wiener. Thank you to John and his fellow veterans for their sacrifice and the strength of their families to continue maintaining the family, the business and life while they fought for us. Strong life experiences and determination run deep within the Sudyk and Clarke families as does a strong sense of family. In their late 90s John and Helen still live on the farm with their great-nephew and his family. Some things never change as the early morning sun rests on the farmhouse which proudly stands high overlooking Madison Road. You can’t help but to smile and think of busier yet peaceful days of the past…
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Address
Geauga County Office Building 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite #240 Chardon, Ohio 44024
Contact
(440) 834-1122; (440) 279-1761
geaugaswcd@geauga.oh.gov