The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board Thursday protected 2,389 additional acres on 28 farms from development through the state's nationally recognized farmland preservation program.

The newly preserved farms are located in Allegheny, Berks, Butler, Clinton, Cumberland, Greene, Indiana, Lancaster, Lehigh, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry and Schuylkill counties.

Since the program began in 1988, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.1 billion to safeguard 463,595 acres on 4,293 farms for future agricultural production.

"Preserving farmland is the first step to ensuring the continued success of agriculture, our state's leading industry," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "Thanks to the foresight of producers across the state, we're able to preserve a way of life for a new generation that will keep Pennsylvania growing far into the future."

The state's farmland preservation efforts work through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program to help slow the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. The program enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.

For more information, visit the PA Farmland Preservation webpage.

NewsClip: State Shields 2,389 Farm Acres From Development

6/18/2012