The Macomb Orchard Trail was designed to celebrate our county's agricultural heritage. And, much to the surprise of many, agriculture is still alive and strong in Macomb County. In fact, according to the 2002 U.S. Agricultural Census, there are more than 500 operating farms in the county. These farms cover more than 68 thousand acres and produce more than 40 million dollars worth of products.

While the strength of the farming industry in Macomb may be a bit surprising, the fact that the county continues to be one of the fastest growing certainly is not. If you drive northward in the county, it is amazing to see the number of new subdivisions and commercial areas that are being developed.

But not everyone in the county is pleased to see growth. County farmers, in particular, have grown increasingly concerned that the lifestyle their families have enjoyed for generations is in jeopardy. Responding to their expressed concerns, the Macomb County Board of Commissioners adopted a set of guidelines in support of farmland preservation.

With county support, a group of communities - including Armada, Bruce, Lenox, Ray, Richmond and Washington - formed the "Macomb County Purchase of Development Rights Committee." This collaboration - the only of its kind in the state - began working on initiatives to assist local farmers preserve their businesses and family land through the purchase of development rights. Simply put, a PDR program makes it possible for a landowner to sell the development rights of their property to another group. In this way, it is not possible for land to be sold for development purposes. The State of Michigan provides limited grant funding for this purpose.

MAP D-R-C applied for funding with the assistance of both the Department of Planning & Economic Development and Michigan State University Extension Macomb. The level of intergovernmental cooperation gave the application the edge it needed to get funding - one of only three successful applicants in the state. Today, the committee is working out the details, but the first 50 acres will be preserved from development. With more than 68 thousand acres in the balance, lets hope that this is the first of many success stories.