By Stephanie Irvine

With developers in communities pitching projects from solar to data centers, warehouses and other uses to local government, community members are speaking out, decrying the loss of farmland and urging elected officials to deny those applications.

“Anytime there’s a large-scale zoning case, the public is there to tell us they don’t want to see the farmland be lost,” Manhattan farmer John Kiefner said. He’s also the Chairman of the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission.

“But what we’re lacking in Will County is any program to prevent it. There’s nothing that the farmers can do to prevent their land, upon their passing or retirement, from ever being converted,” Kiefner told the Manhattan Village board. He said he gave a similar presentation to officials in neighboring Elwood.

A program could exist, however, and Kiefner is hoping officials and community members can help get it off the ground so local farmers who want to keep land in their family — or simply keep it as productive farmland — can do so. It would also curb developers from turning the oft-quoted “prime farmland” into an undesired development.

He explained Kane County has a successful program that has preserved over 7,000 acres of farmland. He said a local program must be established, and then federal and state funds can help operate the program. The villages wouldn’t have to bear the entire cost of instituting a program on their own once created.

“Kane County and the U.S.D.A. through its federal farmland protection program have invested over $32.6 million dollars in Kane County to permanently protect its rich farmland in agricultural conservation easements,” the Kane County website for Farmland Protection states.

Currently in Will County, one in three farms is being willed to the forest preserve upon death because people don’t want to see the land turned over to development, said Kiefner,, who also is a columnist for Farmers Weekly Review.

He brought up that once transferred to the forest preserve, the land would no longer bring in tax revenue to the community.

“Imagine if we had a program that offered some money or we had a program that people knew they could actually keep the land in their family, yet still know that upon their passing, for perpetuity, it would be protected,” Kiefner said.

He explained the property could be bought and sold, but it would be protected, and it would pay taxes.

“Jim Robbins saw a list of farmers, and he’s like I know some of these people. He made the phone call and they all sounded off. Love the program,” Kiefner said of a fellow area farmer Robbins, noting an indication that the program could be successful if implemented.

To help get it off the ground, Kiefner wants residents and local officials to contact the Will County Board members who represent them to urge them to help.

He provided a document to the board offering sample statements like “I [undersigned name] would love to see our county have a program for permanent farmland preservation.”

Board members and members of the public can contact county officials through mail, email, public comment and personal conversations to express they desire a program that will guarantee farmland can be preserved for generations. The www.willcountyboard.com/ website lists all county leaders and their emails, Kiefner explained.

The board listened, and some seemed receptive to the idea.

“Thank you, John, for coming and explaining your project that you’re working on. I know I talked to you about it before briefly, but it is very interesting. So, hopefully, we can assist you with that,“ Mayor Mike Adrieansen said.

Additionally, Trustee Clint Boone expressed an interest in learning more and said he thought it could be beneficial.

After the meeting, Kiefner acknowledged to Farmers Weekly Review that, as Plan Commission Chairman, he recommended approval of both Earthrise Energy solar farm proposals, including one spanning nearly 6,100 acres.

Kiefner said Planning and Zoning commissioners are not allowed to comment following their votes on issues. But he added those who heard his comments during those sessions could determine his reasoning for the approvals.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter. Farmers Weekly Review Editor Nick Reiher contributed to this article.