KENT COUNTY, Mich. — In Kent County, farmland is disappearing in favor of development, according to recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
From 2002 to 2022, per the department's Census of Agriculture, the county saw a 14% reduction in the number of farm operations and a 16% reduction in the number of acres under agricultural production.
These trends amounted to a loss of more than 28,000 acres of farmland.
During this time period, the average farm value in Kent County also rose from $612,465 in 2002 to $1,080,264 in 2022.
"It's scary," said farmer Denny Heffron. "Are we going to be viable for another generation or two? It's scary."
Heffron, the owner of Heffron Farms in Grattan Township, is a proponent for farmland preservation. He's seen others in the county sell their increasingly valuable property to developers, who then build housing on soil that's long been suited for growing. On a weekly basis, Heffron says he receives mail from people who want to build renewable energy projects on his land. He's always turned them down.
"I have no desire to do that," he said.
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While Heffron says he's "not opposed" to development, he believes it should be done in a way that does not damage the county's agricultural production, especially in a state that's the second most agriculturally diverse in the country.
"Preserve what ought to be preserved," he said.
To this end, Heffron serves on Kent County's Agricultural Preservation Board, which oversees the Kent County Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program.
On a voluntary basis, the program lets farmers sell the development rights of their land to the county and, in turn, a permanent deed restriction is placed on the property, preventing it from future, non-agricultural use.
The program is currently accepting applications though Friday, May 8.
"I think it's about being able to maintain our rural characteristics and maintain the quality of life for our residents," said Haley Stichman, the county's community development director. "One of the things I hear about the beauty of Grand Rapids is that you can drive 10, 15 minutes and be on a farm."
During last year's application cycle, Stichman says the board received six applications and recommended two of them to receive funding though the program. The money, she says, is primarily sourced through federal and state grants.
"When we talk with landowners, I think they are happy this tool exists," Stichman said.
For more information, including the application, visit www.kentcountymi.gov/pdr. Questions may be directed to Haley Stichman, via email at haley.stichman@kentcountymi.gov or by phone at 616-632-7593.
