RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration is giving grants to six local governments that will be used to preserve farmland.

Northam recently announced that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was awarding more than $633,000 to Albemarle, Clarke, Fauquier and Stafford counties as well as Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

The money compensates farmers who work with local governments and voluntarily sign perpetual conservation easements to preserve working farmland.

The state has awarded more than $12 million in similar grants since 2008 to preserve more than 13,000 acres on 95 farms.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (Photo: AP)