LIMA NEWS

           GOOD NEWS: On October 24 the Town of Lima applied for a $25,000.00 grant to assist in the development of a municipal Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan. Earlier this month I received notification that our application was approved, so now the work begins.

          The goal of the Town of Lima Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan is to preserve agriculture as an industry in the Town and to retain farmland for agricultural use. The Plan will: 1) Inventory farms, farmland resources and the agribusiness operations in the Town; 2) Identify farmland parcels for targeted preservation efforts; 3) Evaluate and make recommendations on changes to the Towns Comprehensive Plan and regulations to ensure consistency with state and county agricultural protection guidance and to provide additional support for farming and agribusiness; 4) incorporate public input, particularly that from the farming community; and 5) develop strategies for the implementation of a long-term preservation program.

          The Town of Lima will retain a qualified consultant to assist with the preparation of the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan. The consultant will work closely with a Farmland Protection Committee to be established by the Town Board within the next month. We already have 2 members of the committee Dennis Neenan and Cathy Gardner and we are seeking persons with an interest in participating on this committee.

          The will be charged with maintaining information about agricultural land resources and promoting farm operations within the Town. The Committee will include Representation form farmers, persons who are involved in agricultural-related industries such as processing, distribution, suppliers of goods or services to farms, and farmland owners who rent land to farmers. If you fit one of these categories please submit a letter of interest to the Town Clerk by February 21,2008. The committee will be responsible for providing guidance to the consultants in the preparation of the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan.

As always please call me if you have any questions regarding this information. (home 582-1649, office 582-1130, or cell 733-0405.)