Harford County (Map, News) - Harford farm owners in an agriculture-preservation program would get an average of $444 more in annual tax breaks under new legislation.

Two bills, announced Thursday by County Executive David Craig, would increase tax credits from $35 to $50 an acre.

The breaks would go to 552 farm owners who have been paid to preserve their land from development.

“We are one of the few counties in the state, if not the nation, that not only pays people to join a program but gives them tax breaks to stay in,” said Bill Amos, Harford’s chief of agricultural and preservation.

The tax credits would total about $1.1 million.

Craig also said 53 farmers have applied for the agricultural-preservation program, and the county has made offers to 13 of them, with a total of 1,715 acres. If they accept, the county would have about 43,000 acres of agricultural land in a preservation program.

In 2004, Craig set a goal to preserve 55,000 acres of agricultural land by 2012.

County Council President Billy Boniface said the council strongly supports Craig’s preservation measures.

Gene Umbarger, a farmer who just agreed to have his development rights purchased by the county, said he is happy his land will remain a farm. His father bought the 150-acre farm for $32,000 in 1918. Umbarger will sell development rights for about $1.5 million.

“It’s a great feeling; this view will be here forever,” Umbarger said.

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:08 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008 re: "Program would shift farmers� excess water to municipalities"

Examiner Reader said:
Then what happens when the farmer's neighbor's well runs dry?

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2:02 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 21, 2008 re: "Harford has state�s only robotic milking machine"

Examiner Reader said:
why does the cow look green?

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9:03 AM MST on Tue., Jul. 10, 2007 re: "Drought killing corn crop early this year, affecting livestock"

Examiner Reader said:
The cows are out of luck, now that we are using corn for fuel. What a plan. It sounds good during good growing seasons, but what do you do now? We need to stop screwing around with band aids to fix our fuel supply problems and get serious about resources that are proven to work. Nuclear power, new refineries and drilling.

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12:17 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007 re: "Harford has state�s only robotic milking machine"

Examiner Reader said:
I saw my grandfather hand milk cows in a barn with only an oil lantern for light. What's the world coming to!!!

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11:53 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007 re: "Harford has state�s only robotic milking machine"

Examiner Reader said:
Isn't it a little demeaning to refer to beautiful dairy cows as "toddlers" and a magnificent robotic milker as a "toy". The technology blows my mind that a cow can be milked by a robot. Good for the Dallams! Kate makes the BEST ice cream in the world at Broom's Bloom Dairy Store.

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9:11 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007 re: "Harford has state�s only robotic milking machine"

Examiner Reader said:
Very interesting article on the robot. However, cows surely get more than "a pellet" while being milked. One pellet would be about the size of a piece of dogfood and would hardly lure the cows to the robot. I hope the cows get a good portion of pellets dumped in front of them when they enter the robot.

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12:49 PM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007 re: "New legislation to help preserve farms and aid the environment"

Examiner Reader said:
That doesn't seem like a lot of milk production. are you missing a few zeros? Tim Feeser Carroll County Commissioners office

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4:57 AM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007 re: "Cost of milk leaves gas prices in the dust"

Huh? said:
Doesn't the government subsidize milk? What an economic ripoff of citizens. Produce extra milk, waste lots of it then charge more for the little bit that is left.....amazing!

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