Pennsylvania continued protecting valuable farmland this week by permanently preserving 51 more farms under its nationally recognized Farmland Preservation Program. In all, a record 351 farms were preserved in 2007.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of farms and acres preserved. Since the program began in 1988, a total of 377,910 acres on 3,339 farms have been protected.

"With the additional 51 farms preserved by the Farmland Preservation Board today, Pennsylvania continues to set a national standard for farmland preservation," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. "By protecting farmland for future generations, we are strengthening our state's agricultural industry and keeping production agriculture alive and vital in the commonwealth."

"Looking ahead, we expect another good year for preservation in 2008 as we celebrate the program's 20th anniversary," said Secretary Wolff. "We anticipate reaching the 3,500 farm and 400,000 acre milestones."

The farms preserved this week are located in 21 counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Cambria, Chester, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Union and York. Currently, 57 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties participate in the program.

The state's farmland preservation program works through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, which was developed 19 years ago 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 Department of Agriculture website.

12/14/2007