The new Erie County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan creates innovative strategies to guide the County to identify and protect agricultural land with development pressure, support new farms and attract new farmers to Erie County, identify strategies to increase the financial viability of agriculture in the County, connect rural and urban farmers with consumers and new markets, and increase accessibility of healthy, local food for consumers.

The Plan includes:

• an analysis of agriculture and development pressure in the County;
• summaries of the various public meetings and individual interviews that were conducted as part of the process;
• summaries of other planning documents specific to agriculture that are currently being used in the County;
• information about the “tools” in the “toolbox” that Erie County does and can use to support farms and protect farmland;
• a set of strategies with goals and recommended actions for implementation.