Potential Federal Help for Farm Preservation ID'd by MMA

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People in Franklin often express concern about the dwindling presence of farms and open space. Well, according to a posting by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, there may be new federal funding that can help.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Farmland of Local Importance is land that is locally important for crop production, but not categorized as prime farmland, unique farmland, or farmland of statewide importance.

>Prime Farmland is that land which is best suited for agriculture and defined by national soil property and climatic criteria.

> Unique Farmland has characteristics distinctive to the production of a specific crop such as cranberries.

> Farmland of Statewide Importance is suited to crop production but lacks all the criteria required for prime. The applicable state agricultural agency sets the criteria forthis category.

> Farmland of Local Importance is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations.

All of this, and more, is spelled out in a current Massachusetts Municipal Association article along with information about potential funding support to help towns like Franklin retain remaining farmland. To read the article, go to: https://www.mma.org/usda-working-to-increase-farmland-eligible-for-federal-preservation-funding/

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