The Office of Farmland Preservation has transferred its programs from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Virginia Department of Forestry effective July 1, 2024.

Under the Code of Virginia, the new Office of Working Lands Preservation is tasked with five important missions:

• Work with other governmental and private organizations to help establish local purchase of development rights (PDR) programs by creating model policies and practices, establishing criteria to certify programs as eligible to receive funds from public sources, and determining methods and sources of funding for localities to purchase agricultural conservation easements
• Create programs to educate the public about the importance of farmland preservation
• Help farmers with farmland preservation efforts.
• Assist local governments in developing additional farmland preservation policies and programs
• Administer the Virginia Farm Link program.

Please reach out to the contacts below for more information.

Programs & More Information

• Virginia Farmland Preservation Tools
• Virginia Farm Link
• Virginia Century Farms
• National Farmland Information Center
• Protecting Your Personal Information