The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Michigan Agricultural Preservation Fund Board are awarding more than $2 million of Agricultural Preservation Fund grants to permanently protect farmland in six counties and one township.
The fund helps local governments conserve farmland that might otherwise be developed, sustaining a resource that grows food for Michigan residents and powers the state’s second-largest economic sector.
In West Michigan, Kent County will receive just over $157,000, Ottawa County will receive nearly $376,000, Van Buren County will receive over $312,000, and Berrien County is receiving $250,000.
Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Ben Greene stated, “This funding will help preserve the Kruithoff family farm, ensuring these 109 acres in Tyrone Township remain in agricultural use.”
Since 2019, MDARD has issued more than $10 million in Agricultural Development grants.
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