KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A portion of farmland in Tyrone Township has been forever preserved for agricultural use.
In April, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced it had awarded more than $2 million in grant funding to local farmland preservation programs, including Kent County's Purchase Development Rights (PDR) program.
Per the county, a total of $157,250 will be used to preserve 109 acres of farmland owned and operated by the Kruithoff family.
"Kent County’s agricultural roots run deep, and this grant allows us to continue protecting that legacy,” Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Ben Greene said in a release. "The Kruithoff family represents the very best of our farming community—a multigenerational commitment to the land and to feeding our region."
The Kruithoffs are multi-generation pig farmers who annually finish around 30,000 pigs and grow around 3,000 acres of crops — corn, soybeans and wheat — which are generally put toward animal feed.
"I was born and raised here on this farm," Tim Kruithoff said to FOX 17 News. "I spent my entire life here, and I want to see our kids have that opportunity."
"We felt it was more important for us to save the land," he said.
Kent County's farmland preservation program lets farmers sell the development rights of their land to the county. Then, a permanent deed restriction is placed on the property, preventing it from future, non-agricultural use.
For the Kruithoffs, the 109 acres of farmland they chose to preserve was appraised by a third-party at $435,000. As is typical for the program, the county then compensated them for around three-quarters of this amount ($157,250 from state funding and $175,00 in federal funding) and the rest was covered by the family's own donation ($108,750).
"Our goal is to keep this valuable land in production. Once it's developed, it'll never go back to farmland," Tim Kruithoff said.
"We take such pride in it, taking care of the land," Christine Kruithoff said. "I think that's important."
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From 2002 to 2022, Kent County lost around 28,000 acres of farmland, according to data from the USDA. The Kruithoffs hope to slow these losses and secure a future that values farmland with their participation in the program.
"This way, we can focus on producing food for the next generation and generation after that," Tim Kruithoff said.
