HARRISBURG – An additional 2,198 acres of prime farmland across the state were protected from development recently during a meeting of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board.
The 22 newly preserved farms are located in Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Fayette, Lackawanna,Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton and York counties.
“Pennsylvania farm families know the importance of preserving our farmland and ensuring the viability of Pennsylvania agriculture for future generations,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. “Agriculture is a $5.7 billion industry and Pennsylvania’s number-one industry – the cornerstone of our economy. I thank the families preserving their farms for their foresight in keepingPennsylvania growing.”
During the program’s 24-year history, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.1 billion to safeguard 461,206 acres on 4,265 farms.
Pennsylvania’s nationally-recognized farmland preservation efforts work through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, which was developed in 1988 to help slow the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. It enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.
For more information, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and search “farmland preservation.”
Editor’s Note: The farms preserved on April 19 are listed below, by county:
Allegheny
The Claranne and Jacob Guffey and Rebecca VerSneed farm, a 168.70-acre crop and livestock operation
Berks
The F. Mark and Kim Weber farm #1, a 57.20-acre crop and livestock operation
Blair
The Mervin and Betty Brumbaugh farm, a 143.57-acre crop and livestock operation
Bucks
The Kenneth Bates farm, a 62.79-acre crop farm
Chester
The William and Robin Beam farm, a 28.68-acre crop farm
Cumberland
The Denny McCullough farm #2, a 116.70-acre crop and livestock operation
Fayette
- The Roberta Lee Berger farm, an 82.55-acre crop farm
- The James and Delores Wilson farm #2, a 218.15-acre crop and livestock operation
Lackawanna
The Daniel Chilewski farm, a 120.03-acre crop and livestock operation
Lancaster
- The Harold and Anna Barley farm, a 139.96-acre crop and livestock operation
- The Paul Lamar and Sheryl Hess farm, a 151.29-acre crop and dairy operation
- The Melvin and Carolyn Lantz farm, a 98.32-acre crop and livestock operation
- The Lawrence and Marian Martin farm #1, a 60.97-acre crop farm
- The Nelson and Glenda Weaver farm, a 47.13-acre crop and livestock operation
Lebanon
- The Henry and Barbara Glick farm, a 132.55-acre crop and livestock operation
- The Jeffrey Zimmerman farm, a 33.13-acre crop farm
Montgomery
The Leon Detwiler farm #1, a 16.66-acre crop and livestock operation
Northampton
- The Joseph and John Csencsits farm, a 66.63-acre crop farm
- The Layne and Beth Klein farm, a 28.85-acre crop farm
- The Julia Ponist farm, a 40.70-acre crop farm
York
- The Carl and Ida Close farm #1, a 167.02-acre crop and livestock operation
- The James Quesenberry and Constance Anderson farm, a 216.68-acre crop farm