1.   But opponents say that the farmland assessment program has done more to benefit the wealthy than it has to preserve farmland.

2.   He would gladly lease his field to a factory, but the government will not let him, citing a need to preserve farmland.

3.   Now, he said, the township is seeking to preserve farmland and open space and to keep future development in check.

4.   Ocean Spray spokesman Chris Phillips said the subsidies actually help the environment by helping to preserve farmland.

5.   The new code also suspends a three-acre zoning requirement to preserve farmland and promote lower-priced housing.

6.   The survey was conducted by professors at Northern Illinois University and sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, an environmental interest group promoting federal policies that preserve farmland.

7.   This shift comes a few weeks after the first lady endorsed the milk deal, which is strongly supported by farmers upstate and environmentalists wanting to preserve open farmlands.