Media Story

Washington County takes key step toward standing up for farmlands

By JOHN TORINUS
Special to the Journal Sentinel

March 18, 2006

A farmer who describes himself as a solar collector gave the agri-business cluster a major boost last week when he led Washington County into a program to protect prime farmlands.

The action of the county board to create a program for the purchase of development rights will be heard around the state as a way to "stand up for farming." Calls are already coming in to Washington County leaders asking how to replicate the program in other parts of the state.

Supervisor Dan Stoffel opened his presentation for the county's purchase of development rights task force by saying: "I collect solar energy." The 900 acres he farms turn solar energy into food and fiber.

And that turns into 5,000 jobs across the agri-business cluster in Washington County and $629 million in products and services.

Beyond the direct impact of food production in the county are a wide variety of dependent businesses, such as food processing, seed growing, transportation, equipment manufacturing, futures trading, legal, accounting, and retailing to and from farmers.

It is that economic impact that led the state's policymakers to include agri-business as one of the key clusters in "Grow Wisconsin," the state's economic strategy developed at four economic summits.

The "stand up for farming" strategy has been expressed on a number of fronts, but it is centering on purchase of development rights programs because of the conflict with using prime soils for residential and commercial development.

Stoffel said the rate of conversion of farmland has about doubled in Washington County since 1995.

That trend can be seen in many parts of the state, especially those contiguous to large urban areas. Dane County, for example, has some of the best farm soils in the world and is facing huge development pressures from Madison outward.

In response, a state task force has supported a state matching program for the purchase of development rights. The Working Lands Initiative will be making its recommendations this summer. Funding sources have yet to be identified.

Importantly, at the state level, the Wisconsin Builders Association and the Wisconsin Realtors Association have lent support to purchase of development rights programs, with the clear understanding that local land use plans allow for channeled growth in other areas. The developers want certainty about where growth is possible, and they appreciate that property values are higher in well-planned areas than in sprawled areas.

Stoffel and a group of farmland advocates won a 17-11 vote on the Washington County Board, and there were some remarkably far-sighted comments during the debate.

Herb Tennies, the longest-serving supervisor and a retailer, spoke for his city constituents and "our kids and grandkids" when he said, "We are the breadbasket of the nation, and we should stay that way."

Beyond the pure economic arguments, he and other proponents cited these benefits from a purchase of development rights program: Farmlands serve as filters and sponges for water resources; protection of the scenic beauty of the Kettle Moraine; reduction of rural-urban conflict; preservation of wildlife habitat and related recreational activities like hunting, fishing and birding; and provision of raw material for the looming bio-economy.

Supervisors who favored tabling the program and moving the question to a fall referendum, led by Mark McCune, a banker and developer, all praised the work of Stoffel and his task force and said they supported the concept of the programs.

Supervisor Mary Krumbiegel, a farmer, addressed the timing issue by pointing to county surveys of residents that showed 70% to 75% support for farm preservation. "I believe our citizens have spoken," she said.

Stoffel said a referendum would set back the initiation of the program by several years.

Using the county sales tax as an $800,000 annual funding source also drew majority support because putting any program on the stressed property tax is usually the kiss of death.

Washington County has had some experience with purchasing development rights through a state program to preserve the headlands of the Milwaukee River in the northeastern part of the county, western Ozaukee County and southern Sheboygan County.

Attorney Ed Ritger, a veteran attorney from Random Lake who specializes in farming matters, said that farmers were initially leery of the state's program but have swung to widespread support. "There's a waiting list to get in," he said.

There are several more county board votes on the funding and final ordinance, and the state matching program is in early formulation. But with continued leadership and strategic vision, Washington County and Wisconsin could be in the solar collection business for a long time.

John Torinus is chief executive officer of Serigraph Inc. of West Bend. Contact him at torcolumn@serigraph.com .