HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board recently safeguarded 2,138 additional acres on 22 farms against development through the state’s nationally renowned farmland preservation program.
Locations
The board preserved farms in Adams, Bedford, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton, Susquehanna, Union and Washington counties
Since the program began in 1988, state, county and local governments have invested nearly $1.2 billion to preserve 468,092 acres on 4,342 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.
To help save the state’s farmland, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program identifies properties and slows 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.
In some cases, the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program provides additional assistance. Last fiscal year, Pennsylvania received $6.1 million federal reimbursements, the largest amount ever.
For more information, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and search “farmland preservation.”
Adams: The Arentz Family LP farm, a 92.94-acre crop farm.
Bedford: The Kevin and Pamela Grubb farm #2, a 53.06-acre crop farm.
Berks: The Allen and Rebecca Rebman and Richard and Carol Reed farm, a 92.90-acre crop and livestock operation.
Bucks: The Walter Trycieki Estate farm, a 69.93-acre crop farm; the Donald Metzger farm, a 248.02-acre crop and livestock operation.
Chester: The Moore Family Farm Ltd. farm, a 96.82-acre crop and dairy operation.
Dauphin: The Earl Zartman farm #1, a 59.87-acre crop farm.
Franklin: The Norman Feldman farm #2, a 49.74-acre crop farm; the Ernest and Harry Rotz farm, a 59.28-acre crop and livestock operation.
Lancaster: The Elvin Lapp farm, a 76.41-acre crop farm; the Elmer and Annette Sensenig farm #1, a 45.40-acre crop farm; the Elmer and Annette Sensenig farm #2, a 112.64-acre crop farm; the McKonley/Frey Dairy Farms, a 74.97-acre crop and dairy operation.
Lebanon: The Eleanor Eby-Patterson farm, a 122.99-acre crop and livestock operation; The Irvin J. Hess farm, a 116.49-acre crop farm.
Montgomery: The Living Hope Farm #1, a 35.60-acre crop farm.
Northampton: The Robert Jr. and Christine Baggit farm, a 127.16-acre crop farm; the Larry and Elizabeth Kemmerer farm, a 98.44-acre crop farm; the Mariann Ulecka farm, a 19.19-acre crop farm.
Susquehanna: The David and Barbara Grosvenor farm, a 69.61-acre crop farm.
Union: The Alice, Ed, Frances and Lewis Kepler and Amy Waldron farm, a 204.17-acre crop farm Washington; the Joseph Pagliarulo farm, a 212.82-acre crop farm
