CAZENOVIA, N.Y. -- Local and state leaders gathered Friday to celebrate the permanent protection of some Central New York farm land.

This past August, Critz Farm in Cazenovia was granted New York State Farmland Protection funding, which allowed the owners to buy the development rights for the 240 acre farm. The owners say conserving the land for agricultural use not only benefits their family's future, but also supports the local agricultural economy. And officials say at a time when a farm in New York is developed every three days, it's important to make sure farms, remain farms.

"People are asking more questions about where there food comes from. And I think it's important that we think about where the farmers and the farm land is going to be, that we are going to need to grow our food in the future. And investments like this that we made today, are a part of what we need to do, so that our kids and our kid's kids, have an opportunity to have food grown locally here in New York," said David Haight of American Farmland Trust.

Over seven million acres of New York State land is currently used for farming.