The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation has spent $22 million in the last five years to assure more than 23,000 acres of prime Ohio farmland are maintained for agriculture. Another $3.125 million goes to farmland easements this year, the last round of the Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program.

Deadline to apply is 5 p.m. May 23. A small advantage will be given in this round to counties that haven't received funding.

John Hildreth, program administrator for Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District, said local farmers are disadvantaged by the weight given to protecting prime soils.

"We have small pockets (of prime soils) scattered around the county," Hildreth said. "That doesn't mean our soils are poor, it just means for the way they define and score (applications), Richland County falls through the cracks."

"The money is really hard to get," said Richland County Commissioner Tim Wert, who admitted, "There just doesn't seem to be much interest."

Wert knew of only one Richland County application.

The county approved a farm preservation plan Oct. 9 enabling local landowners to take part in the state-funded agricultural easement program, Wert said. Local government participation and support is required by the application process.

The program was partially funded by some proceeds from the sale of $400 million of state-backed bonds authorized by Ohio voters during Gov. Bob Taft's first administration. Wert isn't sure using tax dollars is the best way to preserve farmland. If strong crop prices continue, farmers could afford to pay development prices for farmland, he argues. He'd rather see more encouragement and economic development support for farming and for agricultural-based development that bring jobs by adding value to production agriculture.

"I think we should actively encourage Agricultural Security Areas," Wert said, referring to another voluntary state-based program allowing contiguous landowners to agree to a ban on development with the support of commissioners and township trustees for decade intervals.

"I can't tell you why your county doesn't have any (farms) preserved yet," said Kristen Jensen, program manager with the Ohio farmland preservation office.

She said the state doesn't mandate farm preservation. It provides resources, education, assistance and tools to help local governments assist in preserving their farmland. The process itself requires every application have a local community-based sponsor.

"It can't work without the participation of the local level," Jensen said.

"The AEPP is a tool we have available to help local governments and (community) entities to start thinking about farmland preservation now, before there is that urgency," said Melissa Brewer, a public information officer with Ohio Department of Agriculture. "Farmland preservation is definitely a grassroots effort, and this (program) was established to provoke that thinking process, because that's ultimately where we need to be moving in the future."