Macon, GA

Georgia Farm Bureau is urging voters across the state to support Amendment One on the November ballot — a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase the maximum acreage eligible to enroll in the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment, known as CUVA, from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres.

WHY THE CAP NEEDS TO INCREASE

Every year, the number of farms in Georgia is decreasing — but most of that land stays in production. That means existing farms must grow in size to cover previously planted acres, making the current 2,000-acre cap increasingly restrictive for working farm operations.

HOW CUVA PROTECTS FARMLAND

CUVA is more than a tax break — it is a covenant between a landowner and their county guaranteeing the land will remain committed to a qualified conservation use. If that covenant is broken, the landowner must pay a severe penalty of more than double the tax savings they received back to the county. CUVA provides a preferential valuation for qualifying land based on its actual use, not inflated real estate market value.

WHO BENEFITS

Family farms — not corporate operations. The law strictly applies to family farm entities using CUVA. With 95% of Georgia’s farms being family owned and operated, increasing the acreage cap will help ease the property tax burden on the families working that land.

CUVA is also not limited to farmland alone. Farmland, timberland, and land set aside for conservation all qualify — meaning a yes vote on Amendment One helps protect all types of green space across Georgia.

IMPACT ON COUNTIES

Farmland enrolled in CUVA pays approximately $2.60 in property taxes for every dollar in services it receives. By comparison, residential property pays $0.70 for every dollar in services received. Because farmland requires minimal county services, it has a positive impact on the tax digest even when enrolled in CUVA.

BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

House Resolution 32 — which placed this question on the ballot — passed the Georgia General Assembly with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. In the House, the bill passed 168–5. In the Senate, it passed 50–1.

A CALL TO ACTION

Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall is asking county Farm Bureau offices across the state to lead the grassroots effort in their communities, spreading the message to Vote Yes on Ballot Question 1. County offices are encouraged to display that message on their signs ahead of the November 3rd election.