Information for Landowners

Looking out across your land, you can see fields and farm buildings and possibly old hedgerows, woodlots, and hills rolling over the horizon, creeks careening down steep valleys and old trees across the land. There is a lot of life within the landscape: crops and pasture lands for livestock and habitat for wildlife. They all exist on lands that have been stewarded by generations of landowners like yourself.

But you can also see changes creeping onto the landscape. Farms are being sold and subdivided to make way for residential, industrial and on-farm commercial development. Many of your neighbours face retirement, are torn between the pressures and financial lures of development and their long-term commitment to the land. And while it becomes more and more difficult to keep agricultural operations economically viable, the land becomes more attractive to others. And of course, you wonder about the future. How will these pressures affect the viability of the agricultural business in your neighbourhood? What about the wildlife habitat, watersheds and scenic splendor your neighbours have sustained for generations?

As rapidly as these pressures are building, there is still time to conserve farmland and the clean air, water and natural landscapes they sustain. And we are fortunate to have an effective tool to help moderate the future demands on these precious lands: the Conservation Easement.

If you would like to find out more about conservation easements, please read What is a Conservation Easement: Facts for Farmland Owners. This publication describes the procedures involved in placing an agricultural easement on your property as well as some of the benefits.

Donations of Agricultural Lands

Occasionally, the Ontario Farmland Trust will acquire farmland in order to protect it. Farmland can be donated to the Trust, or in some circumstances, will be purchased directly. Land deals involving direct acquisition of farmland by land trusts often occur at the time when a landowner is retiring from farming: part of the farm may be sold for development, leaving the owner able to donate the remainder, or sell it at a lower price. Acquiring land can enable a farmland trust to provide affordable access to land for farmers.

For more information about donating properties or conservation easements, please call us directly at (519) 824-4120, ext.52686, or send an email to farmland@uoguelph.ca.