When a landowner sells his or her development rights, the stipulation is that the land cannot be developed. In the case of farmland, the land can only be used for agricultural purposes. Once the development rights are sold, the property is usually lowered in tax assessment (because it is not developable). But there is a down side too—lower valuation of the land means farmers have less equity when it comes to seeking loans.
"While we have a strong development rights program,” says Ayars, "we
cannot rely on land protection as the only strategy. Economic growth is very
important.”
As CHIEF of the state Division of Agriculture since 1998, Kenneth Ayars has garnered considerable support around the state among farmers who appreciate his personalized style and penchant for getting out in the field frequently to respond to issues. A 1985 graduate of URI with a masters degree in agriculture, Ayars believes farm viability in the state is dependent on a multi-pronged effort.
What is needed, says Ayars, "is a multi-pronged effort for farm viability." The Rhody Fresh project, he notes was made possible by a USDA federal grant plus grants from the RI Economic Development Corporation and a number of other organizations.
Ayars received his masters in agriculture in 1985 from CELS which farmers
of years ago remember was once called the College of Agriculture. Many "aggie” colleges
have changed their names in recent years to reflect more diversity in their
teachings and research.
But at CELS, fields of green have not been forgotten. The college has long had a strong role in the turf industry and in ornamental horticulture (representing the lion’s share of the state’s agricultural revenue). The college is home to two major outreach programs, the Master gardeners and the 4-H program.
At a recent meeting attended by farmers, Dr. Jeffrey Seemann, dean of CELS,
said "CELS cares about agriculture both because of its important role in the
state's economy and because farms are a critical part of the "quality of place" that
is so emblematic of Rhode Island. The college has begun to aggressively support
the development of "agricultural tourism" as an important means of increasing
the capacity of agriculturalists to derive sufficient |
revenue from their farms
that they continue their way of life.”
DR. JEFFREY R. SEEMANN, dean of CELS, has made collaboration between the college and the RI Community Food Bank a priority by dedicating several acres of URI land and other resources for the production of vegetables that will be distributed to needy families.
Just recently CELS has delved into two other "green” areas—it is in partnership
with the RI Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education and is home base
for the RI Small-scale Farm Technical Support Project which over the next two
years will determine what services small farmers need.
Ernest Morreira, who obtained the grant for the small-farm project notes "There
is new optimism in Rhode Island agriculture due to tremendous popular support
for keeping working farms part of the Rhode Island landscape.”
Ayars points out other positive indications such as there are now 29 farmer’s
markets and 55 roadside stands. Farmers nowadays sell right on their land to
passersby who increasingly value local produce.
There is strong indication that the new interest in local food is somewhat of a post 9-11 phenomenon said a number of farmers and officials interviewed for this series.
"People want to know there their food comes from,” says Ayars. "It’s
a food security issue—we cannot just rely on South America.”
Another factor that could bode well for farming in Rhode Island is the cost of transporting food into the state. As fuel costs increase, food imported from hither and yon is bound to cost more. And while Rhode Island farmers may not be able to compete with the giant wholesalers there is apt to come a time when the costs between local and imported food is negligible with the local products having the edge on freshness.
Ayars believes the state is poised in many ways to help and it appears that many pieces are starting to fall together.
"Our mission is to help farmers produce what they can sell,” says Ayars.
And in the fields, pastures and orchards across the state, there are others who think they can preserve their farms and their livelihood by adopting new techniques and incorporating creative approaches.
Page 2 of 2 (back to Previous Page)
|
