On Thursday, October 11, 2026, the Ohio Department of Agriculture signed off on 58 new agricultural easements that lock 5,165 acres of family farmland out of future development. The easements spread across 36 counties—from Auglaize to Wood—and keep the land in production while owners retain title.
The Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program allows local sponsors—land trusts, county governments, and conservation districts—to tap public funding and buy easement rights from willing farmers. Sponsors submit applications, and the state awards funds only to projects that meet the program’s criteria.
Eligibility is tight: a farm must be larger than 40 acres, actively farmed, and enrolled in the Current Agricultural Use Value program. The land must also show good stewardship, and it cannot lie too close to existing development. These rules keep the program focused on productive, responsibly managed farms.
With the new easements, Ohio’s permanently protected farmland now exceeds 111,000 acres, covering 769 family farms across 62 counties. The state is gearing up for the 2027 application cycle, and sponsors can still certify through October 23, 2026 to receive a share of federal and Clean Ohio Conservation Fund money.