During this session of the Georgia General Assembly, a great deal of effort has been put into the goal of finding new innovative ways to preserve farmland in Georgia. With the major increase in population and strong economic development occurring throughout the state, the goal of balanced growth that ensures prime agricultural lands remain in production is crucial for the future of Georgia’s number one industry – agriculture.

The Georgia Farmland Conservation Act, SB 220, passed the full House on Thursday and now heads back to the Senate for an agree vote. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell), creates a fund that allows for state appropriations, private money, and federal matching dollars to help fund the acquisition of development rights on farmland. This voluntary program paves the way for a farm to keep their land in agricultural production forever and be compensated for doing so. While a farm would want to carefully consider all aspects of a conservation easement prior to encumbering their property in perpetuity, this is a great option for those who want to preserve their farmland for generations to come.

Another approach to the overarching issue of farmland preservation, SB 132, passed out of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee on Wednesday. SB 132 now identically matches the language of HB 452 that passed out of the committee earlier this session. These bills seek to prohibit the foreign ownership of ag land and certain land near military instillations by entities subject to governments of foreign adversaries to the United States.

The Georgia Farm Bureau says that they have advocated in support of solutions to this issue throughout the session and appreciate the work of legislators who share the goal of protecting Georgia agriculture.