Local Government Education

Farmland protection is critical to preserving our ability to grow food for our communities in the future, among many other benefits ¿ including mitigating climate change ¿ that sustainable agriculture can provide. Proactively protecting farmland is more important now more than ever, given accelerating farmland loss and increasing urban development pressure on peri-urban and rural landscapes in Wisconsin and across the US. Wisconsin's state and local governments have unique opportunities to enact innovative farmland protection measures, and the opportunity to position our state as a leader in safeguarding the future of agriculture. Learn about local-, regional-, and state-level opportunities in farmland protection, hear about innovative local government programs that are working to protect farmland, and engage in a peer discussion about possible solutions. Presented by: Catie DeMets, doctoral student, UW-Madison Dept. of Planning & Landscape Architecture; Steve Steinhoff, Director, Capital Area Regional Planning Commission; Kara O'Connor, Midwest Farmland Protection Manager, American Farmland Trust; Chris Gutschenritter, Land Protection Manager at Tall Pines Conservancy