Farmland preservation hits home and hits hard in McHenry County as developers continue to widen their arc outward from Chicago. The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), in partnership with McHenry County College and McHenry County Regional Planning Commission, will convene a panel of experts to explore farmland protection strategies.
Farmland preservation hits home and hits hard in McHenry County as developers
continue to widen their arc outward from Chicago. The Metropolitan
Planning Council (MPC), in partnership with McHenry County College and McHenry
County Regional Planning Commission, will convene a panel of experts to explore
farmland protection strategies.
The forum will take place on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the
McHenry County College Conference Center, and will feature the following topics
and speakers:
- Appreciation of Agricultural Land Use and the
Agricultural Industry - Not Just Waiting for a Better Offer
Paul Miller, DeKalb County Planning, will lay out the
evening's overall theme: understanding agriculture as a viable and valuable
land use in its own right, worth incorporating into a balanced land use plan.
He will discuss the characteristics of agricultural lands and its benefits,
fiscal, aesthetic and productive.
- Large Tract Agriculture - Balancing Change
and Tradition
Large-scale, traditional farms are coping
today with urban encroachment and the loss of agricultural infrastructure.
Porter Martin, of Martin, Goodrich Associates in DeKalb County, will discuss
these problems, concerns and consequences and how they relate to row crops,
livestock and other traditional forms of agriculture.
- Small Tract/Specialty Agriculture -
Opportunity and Contribution
Unusual crops, direct marketing and
agritourism offer farmers ways to diversify their revenue sources and cut
expenses. Lloyd Nichols, local specialty crop farmer, will offer his personal
experience and address how such agricultural operations can co-exist with
rapidly developing areas.
- McHenry County Farmers Are Not Alone - a Sub-Regional Snapshot
Farmers in McHenry, Boone, DeKalb, and
Kendall Counties share many of the same issues. Brad Walker, American Farmland
Trust, will discuss overall land use, identification and implementation of
protection/preservation measures for agricultural lands, and the health of the
agricultural industry in these counties.
- Case Study: Boone County Preservation
Efforts
Kristine Ramsay-Schnor,
Boone County Commissioner, will present information on Boone County efforts to
preserve agricultural lands.
The workshop will be held at McHenry County College Conference Center, 8900
US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012 and will be moderated by MPC North
Suburban Coordinator Linda Kellough.
To register, call McHenry
Community College at 815/455-8588, course ID # NCC C33 001. There is a $10
registration fee.