Protect Our Heritage and Farmland

Dear Editor:

Loudoun County’s growth over the last decade has put immense pressure on County officials to continue developing our land to meet the needs of a growing population. We’ve seen this through data centers, over development in the East, and now, new cluster subdivisions that are bringing more homes and more people.

Cluster subdivisions are areas of developed land that put homes near each other to then preserve the rest of the land for farming. It helps fight sprawl and allows young farmers to purchase smaller plots of useable farmland without having to purchase hundreds of acres.

Recently, land developers who have targeted our County have found ways to circumvent restrictions on prime agriculture soil. Instead of leaving these open spaces to farmers, developers are now putting roads, utilities, and other infrastructure components on this land, effectively making the land useless to farming.

On April 10, the Board of Supervisors will again hear arguments for and against the Prime Soils and Cluster Subdivision Zoning Ordinance Amendment as developers look to strongarm their way into lifting these restrictions further.

Some developers have even threatened to pull out of other projects if this ordinance isn’t amended, arguing that they can’t achieve their development goals with restrictions in place.

Loudoun’s Future is committed to protecting our County and that means standing up to over development, sprawl, and an encroachment on the beauty of our home. We must protect the farmland we have to ensure support for our community.

Farming is a vital industry that provides food and other essential products for our community. Many of our local restaurants depend on local produce and that commitment to locally sourced ingredients is what makes our restaurant community to critical to our home.

The County should prioritize the protection of prime agricultural soils to ensure that farmers can continue to provide for our communities and support our local economy.

Furthermore, the protection of prime agricultural soils can also have environmental benefits. These soils are often rich in organic matter, which helps to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, farming practices that protect prime agricultural soils can help to prevent erosion, improve water quality, and support biodiversity.

We’re calling on the Board to stand its ground and preserve the prime, useable farmland that will help keep our County from overdevelopment.

Protecting prime agricultural soil is not just about preserving farmland for farming; it is also about protecting our heritage, our way of life, and the unique charm that brought many of us to Loudoun County many years ago.

Let’s not let the opinion of a few developers alter the scenic beauty and lifestyle we’ve all come to enjoy.

John Lovegrove, Loudoun’s Future Chairman