HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture added 1,519 acres on 22 farms in 11 Pennsylvania counties to its farmland preservation program.
Since the program was started in 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,336 farms and 634,375 acres in 58 counties from future development. Pennsylvania currently leads the country in preserved farmland. Pennsylvania partners with county, and sometimes local governments and nonprofits, to purchase development rights. When selling their land’s development rights, farmers ensure their farms will never be sold to developers.
Farms preserved recently and dollars invested, by county include:
Adams County, $123,589
Paula K. Frey, Mt. Joy Township, 46-acre crop farm
Centre County, $445,999
Joanne M. Fisher, Halfmoon Township,117-acre crop and livestock farm
Cumberland County, $148,529
Ronald L. and Judy P. Deihl, Lower Frankford Township, 83-acre crop and livestock farm
Lancaster County $679,548
Christopher D. and Lois A. Hoover, East Drumore Township, 42-acre crop and livestock farm
Stevie G. and Susie L. King, West Lampeter Township, 47-acre dairy farm
Kerry L. Meyer, Penn Township, 56-acre crop farm
Daniel S. and Barbara G. Smucker, Caernarvon Township, 39-acre dairy farm
Lebanon County $201,781
Kathleen S. Eisenhouer, Linda S. Johnson, Glen R. Hess, North Annville Township, 79-acre crop farm
Lehigh County $1.6 million
William G. and Cheryl C. Ash and Brian Brady, Heidelberg Township, horse farm
Weinhofer Farms LLC, Whitehall Township, 154-acre crop farm
Errol W. and Virginia A. Zellner, Brenda Kay and Robert Price, Washington Township, 28-acre crop farm
Luzerne County $210,415
Burger’s Farm LLC, Butler Township, 59-acre crop farm
Northampton County $552,772
Jody L. and Megan M. Snyder, Lehigh Township, 33-acre crop farm
Weinhofer Farms LLC #3, East Allen Township, 16-acre crop farm
Schuylkill County $608,850
Baron and Robin Heatherington #2, Union Township, 50-acre crop farm
William K. Stump #1, Wayne Township, 157-acre crop farm
Carl H. and Edith E. Wehry and Carl J. Wehry #1, Barry Township, 84-acre crop and livestock farm
Union County, $212,755
Ralph M. and Lexie C. Reish, Buffalo Township, 69-acre crop and livestock farm
York County $1 million
Lynn D. and Tammie M. Godfrey #1, Springfield Township,127-acre crop farm
Kevin D. and Robin D. Grim #1, Paradise Township, 108-acre crop farm
Larry W. and Lisa Kenton #1, Washington Township, 28-acre crop farm
Stephen J. and Dolores E. Krick #1, Lower Chanceford Township, 72-acre horse farm
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
