Farmland Preservation Advisory Board
The purpose of the Farmland Advisory Board is to assist and advise the Commissioner of Agriculture with the state program for the preservation of agricultural land, regarding the state acquisition of development rights to agricultural land and other related matters. This includes review and evaluation of the ongoing activities of the program, and provides comment and recommendations on the program to the Commissioner. The board, established in 2007, consists of 12 appointed members, meets quarterly. The pre-scheduled Advisory Board meetings are held from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.
2019 Meeting Dates:
March 14, 2019
June 13, 2019
September 12, 2019
December 12, 2019
2019 Meetings and Agendas:
2018 Meetings and Agendas:
July 19, 2018 Minutes (No business was conducted as quorum was not met.)
June 20, 2018 Meeting cancelled.
June 7, 2018 Meeting cancelled.
March 1, 2018 Minutes (No business was conducted as quorum was not met.)
2017 Meeting Agendas and Minutes
The September 7, 2017 meeting of the board has been cancelled.
The June 1, 2017 meeting of the board has been cancelled.
Special Meeting: March 23, 2017 Minutes
2016 Meeting Agendas and Minutes
The March 3, 2016 meeting has been cancelled.
2015 Meeting Agendas and Minutes
September 30, 2015 Agenda Please Note: There has been a change in location for this quarterly meeting. The meeting has been moved to Room 121.
The September 3, 2015 has been cancelled.
Farmland Preservation Advisory Board Criteria Subcommittee
No quorum was achieved June 4, 2015.
The March 5, 2015 meeting was re-scheduled to March 30, 2015:
2014 Meeting Agendas and Minutes
2013 Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Stewardship & Policy Subcommittee
Community Farms Program Criteria Subcommittee
Next Meeting: October 17, 2014 at 9:30am; CT Dept. of Ag, 165 Capitol Avenue, Rm G8A, Hartford
Sec. 22-26ll. Farmland Preservation Advisory Board. Established. Membership meetings. Responsibilities. (a) There is established a Farmland Preservation Advisory Board, within the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes only, to assist and advise the Commissioner of Agriculture in carrying out the provisions of sections 22-26aa to 22-26kk, inclusive.
(b) The advisory board shall consist of twelve members as follows: A representative from The University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Service, appointed by the Governor to serve an initial term of two years; a representative from the Connecticut Farm Bureau, who may be an owner and operator of a Connecticut farm and shall be appointed by the Governor to serve an initial term of three years; five owners and operators of Connecticut farms, who shall be appointed as follows: One by the Governor, one by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one by the majority leader of the Senate, and one by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, to serve initial terms of three years; a representative from the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, to serve an initial term of two years; a representative from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, to serve an initial term of two years; a representative from an organization whose mission includes farmland preservation, who may be an owner and operator of a Connecticut farm and who shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate to serve an initial term of two years; a representative from an organization whose mission includes food security, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives to serve an initial term of two years; and a representative from a financial lending organization whose clients include owners and operators of Connecticut farms, appointed by the Governor to serve an initial term of two years. The members of the board shall select a chairperson from among the board members who are owners and operators of Connecticut farms. Upon the expiration of the terms of the initial members, the terms of such members shall be three years. A person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of such vacancy. Any member may be eligible for reappointment.
(c) Upon establishment of the advisory board and selection of a chairperson pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the board: (1) Shall meet publicly with said commissioner and the staff of the purchase of development rights for agricultural land program within the Department of Agriculture, not later than October 1, 2007, and at least quarterly thereafter to review the ongoing activities of the program, (2) shall evaluate and provide comments and recommendations on the purchase of development rights for agricultural land transaction process, including, but not limited to, methods for streamlining the process and appropriate levels of staffing and funding, methods for increased participation by municipalities and farmers, methods of planning for future acquisitions and identifying prime land for agricultural preservation, and outreach strategies to be conducted by program staff to the state-wide farming community, targeted towards attracting a greater number of quality applications, (3) may recommend any other changes to the program deemed appropriate by the board, including recommendations for future legislative action, and (4) shall evaluate and provide comments on the efficacy of the method of bond funding established pursuant to section 3-20f.