Agriculture Secretary George Greig Thursday announced the protection of 26 Pennsylvania farms totaling 2,363 acres, putting the Commonwealth on track to safeguard its half-millionth acre of farmland from development by the end of 2014.

Since the program began in 1988, federal, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.2 billion to preserve 493,786 acres on 4,638 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.

“We’re closing in on the major 500,000-acre milestone for our nation-leading farmland preservation program,” said Greig. “But just as important are each acre we preserved today and all others safeguarded since the program began in 1988. Each one brings us closer to preserving our state’s best farmland for production agriculture for generations to come.”

The announcement took place during today’s Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board meeting. The board took action to preserve farms in nine counties: Adams, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Erie, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lehigh and Lycoming counties.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program identifies properties and slows the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. It enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.

In some cases, the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program provides additional assistance. Last fiscal year, Pennsylvania received $4.2 million in federal reimbursements.

For more information, visit Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation webpage.

NewsClip: High-End Chester Farms Growing Food For Poor

8/25/2014