Kane County and the U.S.D.A. through its federal farmland protection program have invested over $32.6 million dollars in Kane County to permanently protect its rich farmland in agricultural conservation easements. Since 2001, Kane County has invested over $19.9 million dollars in Riverboat funds matched by more than $12.6 in federal funds from the Federal Farmland Protection Program. 

Twenty-nine family-owned and operated farms (4,927 acres) have been permanently protected through this voluntary program since 2001.  This award winning program has a waiting list of farms totally 1,500 acres waiting to be protected.

Kane County was Illinois' first county to:

• Protect
  farms by ordinance from nuisance lawsuits, 1991

• ​Develop
  a stormwater ordinance to protect farmland, 2000

• Establish
  a Farmland Protection Program, 2001

• Assist
  farmers in maintaining productive soils with a
  farmland drainage assistance program, 2003
  

In 2012, Kane County received a grant from the Pew Charitable Trust to conduct a Health Impact Assessment of the Farmland Protection Program to determine the health benefits to residents by increasing the amount of local food production in the County.  Kane County Farm Bureau is a partner in this prestigious and highly competitive grant.  Using national economic and agricultural experts, Kane County will learn how best to expand its agricultural economy to create more jobs and more fresh food.

Kane County has received awards and recognition from national and state level - American Planning Association and the Trust for Public Land and has been featured prominently in national, regional and local publications.

For further information, please call 630-232-3483.