The Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission approved the addition of 4,018 acres into Agricultural District #093-04 in Oldham County on May 19, 2008.  The land is generally anchored by historic Ashbourne Farm and includes 21 contiguous properties in and around Greenhaven Lane, West Highway 42, and Dawkins Road.

 

In 1982 Kentucky's General Assembly passed the Agricultural District Law.  This law permits a landowner or a group of landowners, owning at least 250 contiguous acres in active agricultural production, to petition their local conservation district to form an agricultural district.  The local conservation district board of supervisors reviews the petition, makes their recommendation, and then forwards all information to the Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission for approval to participate in Kentucky's Agricultural District Program.

 

The purpose of this program is to provide a means by which agricultural land may be protected and enhanced as a viable segment of the state's economy and as an important natural resource, and to minimize the conversion of Kentucky's best agricultural land to nonfarm use.

 

Over the past two years, Oldham County has emerged as a state leader in acres participating in Kentucky's Agricultural District program.  The addition of 4,051 acres in May 2008 follows the successful petition of 18 parcels comprising 3,901 acres in 2007--mostly concentrated in the Brownsboro area.

 

According to the Kentucky Division of Conservation, prior to Oldham County's latest additions to the program, there were 480 certified agricultural districts in Kentucky containing approximately 414,524.83 acres.  These numbers include 3,298 landowners and 78 counties.  The three largest agricultural districts were located in Christian County with 14,604 acres, Hickman County with 9,165 acres and Woodford County with 9,055 acres.  With the 2008 additions, Oldham County now has 11,651.1 acres certified as Kentucky Agricultural Districts, second in the state behind Christian County.

 

The chart to your left reflects the cumulative addition of acres certified in Oldham County agricultural districts.  The first Ag District in Oldham County was established in 1985.  By 2006, the total acres in Ag Districts was 3,675.  Landowners more than doubled the programs first 21 years results in 2007 alone by adding 3,901 acres.  A total of 4,050 acres have been added to Ag Districts in 2008.  Currently, about 9.6% of the county's 121,664 land acres are certified in Agricultural Districts.

 

 Click here to download a copy of Oldham County land enrolled in agricultural districts.

Land is a valuable resource and an asset required for any kind of development, whether it is urban or rural.  Yet, a careful balance must be encouraged whereby our most productive lands are available for agricultural use.  Kentucky has been a national leader in the protection of its land resources and promoting the economic importance of its agricultural industry.  Kentucky's Agricultural District Program has played a valuable role in protecting our agricultural land base and the family farms across the state.

 

Steps for Forming an Agricultural District - Outlines the steps to form an agricultural district.

 

Petition to Establish an Agricultural District  - Form to establish a district.

 

Agricultural District Petition Tracking Form - Petition tracking form.

Agricultural District Recertification Process and Survey - The process for recertifying an agricultural district.

Certified Agricultural Districts - Map shows Certified Agricultural Districts currently.

 

 

For additional information, contact your local conservation district office at 502-222-5123, call the Division of Conservation office at 502-573-3080, or e-mail Stephen A. Coleman or Anna Harmon. 
 

Participation Benefits to Landowners Enrolled in Agricultural Districts

-  Land enrolled cannot be annexed. If land enrolled in an agricultural district is condemned by a state agency, the agency must mitigate the impact on the conversion of that land to nonfarm uses.
-  Land enrolled is eligible for differential assessment by the local Property Valuation Administrator.
-  Deferment of paying the assessed cost against their land for the extension of water lines across their property, as long as the land remains enrolled in the program.
-   Higher ranking when applying for state cost share assistance.
-  Higher ranking in the application review process for the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (PACE).

 

Oldham Ahead salutes all of those landowners who since 1989, when the first Agricultural District was formed in the county, have made Oldham County a leader in Kentucky.

 

Contact the Oldham County Conservation District at 502-222-5123 to discuss the benefits of adding your farmland to the Kentucky Agricultural District program.