Future of Farming Ballot Question

This past Tuesday’s general election found voters going to the polls to vote for local government candidates to serve their communities.  Sometimes termed the Off Year Election, I consider this “odd” numbered year election even more important for the agricultural community than the election years when candidates for president and governor are on the ballot.  Township officials and county commissioners can have powerful impacts on the daily lives of farmers as they govern their piece of the democratic process through landuse decisions.

Agricultural issues have become political hot buttons in recent elections, and this year was no different.  Whether or not the office seeker supported farmland preservation was a question that resonated throughout campaigns in many counties, especially in southeastern Pennsylvania.  With Pennsylvania leading the nation in saving agriculture’s most important resource --- the land on which crops are grown --- it is vital to have local government officials who share the vision of keeping our best soils in production.  How to best accomplish this goal is often an area for disagreement between policymakers.

Radio ads, television commercials, and political debate forums found candidates trying to convince the electorate of their worthiness for election to office as they answered this key question.  In the case of incumbents, they pointed to their strong commitment to saving farmland in the past.  For challengers or open-seat contestants, they espoused their position on how to keep agriculture strong.  It was exciting to realize the farm community was finally getting the credit it deserves in critical discussions about important future growth decisions throughout the campaigns this year.

In Berks County, the race for county commissioners keyed in on the question of how to fund future farmland preservation easement purchases.  We have been fortunate to have current and prior Boards of Commissioners who realized the critical need to preserve farms in the county.  They invested more than $45 million of county funds into the effort since it began in 1990.  As a result, more than 50,000 acres of Berks County’s best farmland has been preserved to date, and the list of farms entering the program keeps growing.

Thanks to those Commissioners leveraging more than $50 million in state and federal funds with their local tax dollar investment, we have been able to keep nearly 500 farms in production for perpetuity.  Our children’s children will be able to raise food and families on these farms forever.  They will be helping to feed the 98%-plus portion of the population who can spend their time doing other tasks thanks to the efficiency and productiveness of those who farm the land and put food on their tables at every meal.

As the polls closed this past Tuesday evening, the race for Commissioner in Berks County found the incumbent Commissioner who has been a staunch supporter of farmland preservation winning the majority of the voters’ support.  The second-top vote getter was a new candidate for the post who also expressed his desire to continue funding the county program and build on the solid platform for saving Berks County’s farmland through taxpayer contributions to the cause.  They will be leading the county’s efforts in farmland preservation for another four-years.

For those of us in the farm community who see the importance of this issue and who went to the polls to cast our votes, there is no question about the value of saving farmland.  When calculated out in Berks County, that local investment represents less than $2 a person annually.  It is a sound investment that will pay dividends for the residents of Berks County in the future where farmland preservation will keep crops growing on the land rather than houses.  Food and water, the two key ingredients for life, will be the gift we give to future generations of voters as a result of the decisions we are making today.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s elections who understand the importance of saving farmland throughout their terms in office.  Congratulations to the farmers who took time out of their busy harvest season to go to the polls to cast their votes.  And, as we prepare to honor our military veterans and those currently-enlisted soldiers who put their lives on the line to defend our democracy and right to vote on Monday, Veteran’s Day, take time to say thank you for their service to our country.

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