On October 12, the Department of Agriculture announced it preserved 1,336 acres on 18 farms in 13 counties, forever protecting them from residential or commercial development.

The newly preserved farms are in Berks, Butler, Chester, Crawford, Dauphin, Erie, Franklin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Westmoreland, and York counties.

The investment of more than $3.1 million in state dollars and $433,433 in county dollars to purchase land development rights preserves prime farmland, helping ensure that Pennsylvania farms can continue feeding our families and economy in the future.

"Prime farmland and fertile soil are critical not just for feeding our families, but for feeding our economy," Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. "Pennsylvania farm families who preserve their farms partner with government to ensure that all Pennsylvania families will have green spaces and healthy farmland available to produce food, income, and jobs." 

Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farmland.

Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,284 farms and 630,302 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.68 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county, and sometimes local government and nonprofits to purchase development rights, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling their land's development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain farms and never be sold to developers.

Click Here for a list of farms preserved.

Visit the Department of Agriculture's Farmland Preservation webpage for more information.

[Posted: October 12, 2023]

10/16/2023