Office of Farmland Preservation (OFP)
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Press Releases
January 9, 2013
What Are You Doing to Protect Your Family Farm?
~ You might begin by taking a deep look into your children’s eyes~

January 17, 2012
Governor McDonnell Announces $1.2 million in Farmland Preservation Grants

Each year, the Office of Farmland Preservation is required to submit a written report on the operations of the office to the chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. Please see below for annual reports that have been released:
2011 annual report
2010 annual report
2009 annual report
2008 annual report
2007 annual report
2006 annual report
2005 annual report
2004 annual report

During the period January through March 2002, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Office of Farmland Preservation (OFP) sponsored a survey of Virginia farmers, with the intent of determining how many Virginia farmers had plans for the transition of their farm businesses to the next generation of farmers. This survey was part of a larger strategy adopted by the National Farm Transition Network (NFTN) (now known as the International Farm Transition Network (IFTN)) to develop conclusions about the state of farm retirement planning in the United States, Europe and Japan. The survey mechanism used for this study mirrored those used across the United States and in other countries as part of the larger NFTN initiative. The goal of these efforts was to create an international database on farm succession planning from which policy recommendations could be developed to increase opportunities for successful farm business transition.

This survey shows that most Virginia farmers either do not plan to retire at all or only plan semi-retirement. Of those farmers who plan to retire and transition their farm, only 30 percent have as yet identified a successor. Finally, 36 percent of Virginia farmers have said they do not have a will, trust or other estate plan to transition this farm to their heirs or to a young farmer outside their family.

Please click here to see more information about this survey.

Virginia: Kevin Schmidt, Coordinator, OFP 
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219
804.786.1346 • Fax: 804.371.7786
E-mail: Kevin.Schmidt@vdacs.virginia.gov

National: Farmland Information Center
a partnership of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and American Farmland Trust (AFT).