Agriculture is one of America's leading industries, generating $835 billion in economic activity in 2014--about 5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product--and employing more than 9 percent of the nation’s workforce. Yet until now, there has been no single volume on the law of agricultural land preservation. This book covers the legal principles, federal and state legal requirements, and legal issues that have arisen in the implementation of public and private agricultural preservation programs, federal tax and estate laws, court cases, and landowner financial issues and options that affect agricultural land preservation efforts.

Agricultural land preservation can help farmers and ranchers by providing needed capital to strengthen the profitability of the agricultural operation, facilitate the transfer of the farm or ranch to the next generation, and offer an alternative to selling land for development. This book provides practical, current guidance for attorneys advising landowning clients who wish to explore agricultural land preservation options, in addition to those who advise private, nonprofit land trusts or government agencies that preserve farmland.