Any Horse Farms in foreclosure/auction?

[SAdams]

Maybe you should look in Burlington County. Please see article below. Maybe something there for you.

Question: Regarding foreclosed land, if you go that route, would you allow the poor people losing their farm to stay and help with the horses or would you throw them out and insert your own group in? Just wondering.

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Burlington County moves to preserve farmland

By Maya Rao

Inquirer Staff Writer
Burlington County wants to preserve 20,000 acres of farmland over the next decade, even as dwindling state assistance could slow its efforts.

The freeholders voted this week to approve a plan that calls for bringing the county's total amount of preserved farmland to 70,000 acres by 2018, using a county-funded program and encouraging other measures that rely on private money to restrict land against development.

The county's dedicated 4-cent property tax - approved by voters in 1998 - guarantees a stream of revenue for preserving open space and farmland. Among other things, the program pays owners of farmland for preservation easements, or the difference between the value of the farm and its worth as developed land, in exchange for its restriction to agricultural uses.

So far, roughly 60 percent of the money for those purchases has come from the state's Garden State Preservation Trust, said Freeholder Bill Haines. But that fund is running out of money.

The county's 2018 target is "definitely a stretch goal," he acknowledged in an interview.

The cost of preserving 207 targeted farms is estimated at $100 million, according to the plan.

The county's Agriculture Development Board prepared the plan in response to new state regulations for receiving money from the Garden State Preservation Trust, whose funds are about $5 million for the 2009 fiscal year but are undetermined beyond that because of budget constraints.

State officials were not available for comment yesterday.

County officials, environmentalists and land preservation groups are trying to persuade the state to replenish preservation funds, but Haines said the economic downturn could mean that fewer people may be interested in applying for county funds in the next few years anyway.

In the slow real-estate market, developers are not knocking on doors to buy land. The county's appraisals for development rights would likewise reflect those declining land values, Haines said.

In the long run, officials said the county may extend its resources by increasingly turning to paying farmers over time through Installment Purchase Agreements. Such agreements allow the county to pay the purchase price at a future date instead of upfront, and to pay interest semi-annually until the payment is made.

About half of the protected farmland in Burlington County has been preserved not by the county government, but through municipal transfers of development rights (TDRs) and the state Pinelands Development Credit programs. Future land restricted to agricultural uses under those programs would be included in the county's goal of preserving 20,000 more acres.

Those programs allow landowners in areas designated for preservation to sell credits to developers to build in other areas zoned for high-density construction. In exchange, sellers of credits agree not to develop their land.

Chesterfield and Lumberton have preserved farmland using TDRs, and the county is working to adopt the program in Mansfield and North Hanover in the northern region targeted for preservation.

As the county nears its target of preserving 20,000 more acres, the focus of the program will shift to "ensure that farming remains viable as a business," Haines said. "It's one thing to preserve the land for agriculture. It's another thing to be able to farm it and make a living."

[njriverman]

Originally Posted by COinNJ

Hi all,

I work with ReRun, Inc., an ex-racehorse adoption program with chapters in NJ, NY, and KY. We take in horses from the racetracks (e.g., Monmouth Park) who are no longer wanted as racers, and bring them to our foster farms for rehabilitation and re-training. We then work very hard to find loving, permanent adoptive homes for them.

We are reviewing our prospects for acquiring property so we can take in more of the Thoroughbreds from NJ,PA,NY area tracks and be able to have the publlic visit. Our foster farms are currently privately-owned operations and public accessibility is limited.

I'm not too shy to say we'd love someone to donate a 25+ acre horse farm in NJ to us, but I'm not so naive to think that is likely to happen. So, I would greatly appreciate any information on horse farms that are in, or going into, foreclosure, or will be up for auction.

Thanks everyone!
-Christine

p.s. I'm glad a little bird led me to this forum.

max spann will be auctioning some horse farms shortly in Hamilton Township.

old york road. Standardbred Retirement Foundation

[Cashew]

Originally Posted by Pineygirl

Ask around in Franklin Township -- the Community Development Department may have some suggestions.

Thank you.