220 acres of farmland near Decatur will be kept for agricultural use in perpetuity now that Van Buren County has been awarded a $312,000 Agricultural Preservation Fund grant by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

MDARD announced the grant this week, and Van Buren County Community Services Director Lisa Ransler tells us it’ll be used to purchase the development rights to Druskovitch Farms in Hamilton Township. She says under this arrangement, the county will own the development rights to the property while the Druskovitch family will retain ownership of the land, but with an easement keeping it as agricultural.

“So if he could go sell it on the market today, he would probably get about $438,000 for it,” Ransler said. “So the difference between his current value and the farming value is about $312,000. So we’re purchasing that developmental ability and he will be able to retain the land.”

Ransler says under the farmland preservation program, grant funding can cover up to 75% of the cost of purchasing development rights, with local governments and the landowner contributing the rest.

The last time Van Buren County preserved agricultural land through the MDARD program was around 2008, but Ransler says its newly reformed Land Preservation Board now plans to pursue more of these opportunities. She says it means the county can support growth while protecting its farmland, which has been at the heart of the county since its founding.