Sec. 22-26nn. Community farms program. Criteria.
Sec. 22-26nn. Community farms program. Criteria. (a) The Commissioner of
Agriculture may establish a community farms program for the preservation of farmland
that does not meet the criteria of the farmland preservation program established pursuant
to section 22-26cc for reasons of size, soil quality or location but that may contribute
to local economic activity through agricultural production. The commissioner may purchase up to one hundred per cent of the value of development rights directly from an
eligible owner, or may acquire development rights on qualifying farmland jointly with
a municipality, subject to the appraisal and review required by the regulations adopted
pursuant to this section. For the purposes of this section, "development rights" and
"owner" shall have the same meaning as in section 22-26bb.
(b) If the Commissioner of Agriculture establishes a program in accordance with
subsection (a) of this subsection, the commissioner shall, in consultation with the Farmland Preservation Advisory Board established under section 22-26ll, establish criteria
for said program. Such criteria shall give preference to farms that produce food or fiber,
and at a minimum shall consider (1) the probability that the land will be sold for nonagricultural purposes, (2) the current productivity of the land and the likelihood of continued
productivity of such land, (3) the suitability of the land for agricultural use, including
whether the soil is classified as locally important soils by the United States Department
of Agriculture, and (4) the demonstrated level of community support for preservation
of the parcel. The commissioner shall, in consultation with said board, consider mechanisms that encourage continuation of the land in agricultural production to maintain its
long-term availability and affordability for future generations of farmers, including, but
not limited to, deed restrictions or stewardship requirements.
(P.A. 08-174, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 08-174 effective June 13, 2008 (Revisor's note: In 2009, a reference to "section 22a-26ll in Subsec. (b)
was changed editorially by the Revisors to "section 22-26ll" for accuracy).