Carroll County has a rich tradition of agriculture that continues to be strong today. The county-wide desire to preserve the farming way of life and support agricultural industries has resulted in tremendous rates of participation in one of the most successful agricultural land preservation programs in the country. Carroll County land owners have voluntarily placed easements on more than 50,000 acres of land, limiting their development rights and thus ensuring that the land will be farmed for generations to come. Each acre of land under an easement also helps to preserve the rural character of the county which is so often imperiled by increased development and the diminished ability of farmers to continue farming as a result of development's side effects