Click on the bar above for more information or a return to Roxbury Home. Farmland Protection Every minute of every day 2 acres of farmland is lost to development. That is 1.2 million acres of lost farmland every year. The majority of our fresh produce and dairy (75%) are produced near large urban centers. These areas are especially at risk for development. New York State is number 13 out of the top 20 states for farmland lost to development. When a farmer competes with a developer to purchase land, the farmer loses. The price for land is out of a farmer's reach as its value is based on its potential to build houses and not on its ability to produce food. Farming and ranching keep land open and give us our cultural landscapes. The Hudson Valley is known for its beautiful rural views of apple orchards and grazing dairy herds. Good agricultural practices provide food and cover for wildlife, control flooding, protect wetlands and watersheds, and help to maintain our air quality. Agriculture also adds to a community's quality of life by providing open space, local jobs, and by supporting other local businesses. Farmland also requires less from a community. The property taxes from farmland more than pay for the municipal services they require. We are at a pivotal moment for preserving agricultural land and open space. One key to preserving land is to make it affordable for farmers. If we make land affordable for farmers they will come. Equity Trust, Inc. and Open Space Institute are two organizations that are working on creative solutions to this problem of affordable land. They made it possible for Roxbury Farm to move to new land in 2000.