By Blake Jackson
The Shapiro Administration has announced more than $9.1 million in funding to preserve farmland across Pennsylvania, protecting 2,565 acres on 34 farms in 16 counties from future residential and commercial development.
The investment is designed to help ensure that productive agricultural land remains available for future generations of farmers while supporting long-term food, fiber, and fuel production.
“Pennsylvania leads the nation in farmland preservation because farm families, communities, and the Commonwealth are working together to protect the land that feeds us,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
“The families who committed to preserving their farms today show what that commitment looks like — strengthening agricultural communities while protecting prime soil as a resource for farming. The Shapiro Administration is proud to stand with Pennsylvania’s farm families, investing in the land together and building a stronger future for agriculture.”
Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program works through partnerships among state, county, local, and nonprofit organizations to purchase agricultural conservation easements, often referred to as development rights. These easements permanently limit non-agricultural development, ensuring farmland remains in production even if ownership changes.
Several newly preserved properties strengthen existing conservation efforts. In Lehigh County, additional preservation brings protected acreage on a donated farm to 406 acres.
In Cumberland County, preservation of the John and Cynthia Clouse Farm contributes to a nearly 800-acre block of conserved farmland. Meanwhile, in Schuylkill County, protection of the Musser family’s second parcel expands a multi-farm preservation area to 434 acres.
Since voters created the program in 1988, Pennsylvania has preserved 6,759 farms and nearly 670,000 acres across 58 counties. State officials say the latest investment further reinforces Pennsylvania’s national leadership in farmland preservation while helping safeguard the agricultural resources that support the state’s economy and rural communities.
Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer
Categories: Pennsylvania, Government & Policy