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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Author Wendell Berry of Port Royal and his family have donated a farmland conservation easement of 117 acres to the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements (PACE) Corp., a program administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Conservation easement donations ensure that the land will remain available for agriculture and will not be converted to other uses in the future. The owners retain the right to farm the land as they always have and can sell the land at anytime with the restrictions of the conservation easement. A conservation easement prohibits the property from being developed.
“Kentucky loses about 100 acres of farmland every day,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “It is more important than ever that we protect our farmland for the future.”
Donors of conservation easements may receive federal and state income tax and estate tax benefits. Anyone interested in donating a conservation easement should consult with a tax professional.
The Berry family’s donation is the 25th donation accepted into the PACE program and increases the number of acres to 3,702.
For more information on the PACE program, contact Brent Frazier by phone at (502) 564-4696 or by e-mail at brent.frazier@ky.gov, or go to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.kyagr.com, and click on Farmland Preservation on the pull-down menu.
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