HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Shapiro Administration announced that Pennsylvania preserved 2,044 acres on 29 farms in 15 counties, forever protecting them from future residential or commercial development.
The investment of more than $10.2 million in state, county and local dollars preserves prime farmland, helping Pennsylvania farms continue feeding our families and our economy in the future.
The investment illustrates Gov. Josh Shapiro’s continued commitment to Pennsylvania’s rural economy and conserving land, soil and water resources to feed future prosperity.
Shapiro’s budget proposes critical investments in Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agriculture industry, including $13.8 million to fully fund the Pennsylvania Farm Bill for the fifth year, a $1 million investment for the creation of a new Organic Center of Excellence, $500,000 for a new Center for Plant Excellence, and $2.5 million for the Farmland Preservation Program — ensuring resources will be available for counties to produce food and feed Pennsylvania’s economy.
Leading the nation
Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,231 farms and 626,321 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.67 billion in state, county, and local funds.
Pennsylvania partners with county and sometimes local governments and non-profits 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.
The newly preserved farms are in Adams, Berks, Butler, Centre, Clinton, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lehigh, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Union and Wayne counties.
Butler County farms
In Butler County, there will be a total investment of $965,706, $940,706 coming from the state, and $25,000 coming from the county.
The preserved farms in Butler County include the Debra S., DuWayne L., Ronald K. Flinner and Kimberly R.Cunningham Farm, Muddy Creek Township, a 58-acre crop farm; and the H. George, Kathleen J. and Daniel Joseph Hartzell Farm #3, Slippery Rock Township, a 144-acre crop farm.
These investments will multiply public dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the new $154 million Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, supporting farmers’ efforts to reduce water pollution and improve soil quality.
Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program also secured a $7.85 million federal grant from USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program to support climate-smart conservation on preserved Pennsylvania farms, an investment that will not only improve conservation efforts but help measure their impact.
