Generally, farmland protection has been through the first, the purchase of development rights, often combined with a partial donation of a portion of the development rights. This is most commonly called an agricultural conservation easement.
Turley
The purchase of development rights provides money directly to the farm or ranch owner(s), while donations of development rights to qualified organizations can be considered a charitable contribution. Entering into an agricultural conservation easement has numerous financial implications that should be discussed with a financial specialist.