Pennsylvania Commits $8.6 Million to Preserve 35 Farms and 2,645 Acres Across 18 Counties

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently announced that it has preserved 2,645 acres on 35 farms across 18 counties, safeguarding them from future development. This $8.64 million investment secures prime farmland, ensuring that Pennsylvania farms can continue nourishing our families and economy in the long run. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding highlights the significance of farmland preservation, emphasizing the vital role it plays in providing food, income, and jobs for future generations. 

“‘No farms, no food’ is the battle cry for farmland preservation across the country,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Pennsylvania has led that charge, and families who preserve their farms join forces with government, investing together to ensure that future Pennsylvania families will have green spaces and healthy farmland available to produce food, income, and jobs.”

Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,266 farms and 628,967 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing nearly $1.68 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county and sometimes local governments and nonprofits 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, Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Union, and York counties.

Farms preserved today and dollars invested, by county:

Adams County – Total investment – $251,606.85; $197,885.49 – state, $24,418.80 – county, $29,302.56 – township

• Beatrice F. Waybright Farm #2, Cumberland Township, 71-acre crop farm

Allegheny County – Total investment – $782,674.26 state only

• The Robert H., Robert B., Jane S., Jillian R. Morrow, and Rebecca, and Anthony Mattarochia Farm, Plum Borough, 129-acre crop and livestock farm

Beaver County – Total investment – $443,267.25 state only

• Steffler Homestead Limited Partnership Farm, Franklin Township, 108-acre crop farm

Berks County – Total investment – $377,350.95; $261,416.95 – state, $115,934.00 – county

• Alice A Deanin Farm, North Heidelberg Township, 31-acre crop &and livestock farm
• Roy and Ruthann Kunkel Farm #1, Albany Township, 32-acre crop farm
• Skyline Acres, Inc. Farm, Upper Bern Township, 65-acre crop farm

Chester County – Total investment – $559,757.45; $35,405.02 – state, $524,352.43 – county

• Luke A. Allen Farm, Upper Oxford Township, 68-acre equine operation
• Kathleen M. Anderson Farm, Elk Township, 16-acre equine operation
• Neil J. and Alice E. DeBonaventura Farm, West Fallowfield Township, 40-acre crop and livestock farm
• Gail A Emerson Farm, West Fallowfield Township, 13-acre equine operation

Columbia County – Total investment – $98,314.36 state only

• Soil Bound LLC Farm, Franklin Township, 76-acre crop farm

Cumberland County – Total investment – $847,625.55; $527,830.03 – state, $319,795.52 county

• Jonathan W. Bream Farm #2, Penn Township, 14-acre crop farm
• Arlin D. and Karla D. Wadel Farm, Southampton Township, 113-acre poultry operation
• Weaver Farm, North Newton Township, 101-acre poultry operation

Dauphin County – Total investment – $476,632.78 state only

• Bruce and Carol Mattis Farm, Halifax Township, 124-acre crop and livestock farm
• The Henninger Family Irrevocable Trust, Michael W. & David H. Henninger and Joanne K.
• Rheem, Trustees, Washington Township, 145-acre crop farm

Erie County – Total investment – $267,886.65; $167,886.65 – state, $100,000 county

• Daniel J and Dolores D. Renick Farm #1, McKean Township, 132-acre crop and livestock farm

Lackawanna County – Total investment – $264,606.50 state only

• William A. Dixon and Marissa A Opalka Farm, Benton Township, 115-acre crop farm

Lancaster County – Total investment – $1,797,783.98; $1,760,783.98 – state, $37,000 – county

• John S. and Esther S. Beiler Farm, Colerain Township, 74-acre dairy farm
• Reuben Z. and Naomi S. Beiler Farm, Salisbury Township, 87-acre crop and livestock farm
• Victoria K. Graybeal Farm, Fulton Township, 103-acre crop farm
• William E. and Diane K. Hershey Farm #1, Little Britain Township, 118-acre dairy farm
• William E. and Diane K. Hershey Farm #2, Little Britain Township, 80-acre crop farm
• Randall C. and Maria R. Kreider Farm, Manor Township, 20-acre crop farm

Lebanon County – Total investment – $509,778.27; $416,258.47 – state, $93,519.80 – county

• Dale E. and Pattie L. Maulfair Farm, Bethel Township, 201-acre crop farm

Lehigh County – Total investment – $527,913.10; $423,529.60 – state, $75,231.50 – county, $29,152 – township

• Dominick Basciano and Jane B. Heft Farm, Upper Saucon Township, 27-acre crop farm
• Beth Ann Kramer Farm, Weisenberg Township, 41-acre crop and livestock farm
• Paul D. Nester Farm, Lynn Township, 14-acre crop farm

Lycoming County – Total investment – $208,447.92; $196,827.92 – state, $11,620 – county

• Kevin P. and Angela Lynn Ganther Farm, Wolf Township, 93-acre crop farm
• Paul O. and Patricia P. Wentzler Farm, Muncy Township, 67-acre crop farm

Montgomery County – Total investment – $208,317.56; $168,863.56 – state, $39,454 – county

• Ellen Renninger Farm #1, Douglass Township, 20-acre crop farm

Northampton County – Total investment – $147,902.55; $10,133.95 – state, $137,768.60 – county

• Jason J. and Kelly Hankee Farm, Lehigh Township, 22-acre crop farm

Union County – Total investment – $177,491.90 state only

• Lucas, Melinda and Deborah Criswell #3 Farm, Kelly Township, 54-acre crop farm

York County – Total investment – $701,603.05 state only

• Joel D. and Susan C. Deardorff Farm #1, Dover Township, 102-acre crop farm
• David C. and Bettie J. Holloway Farm #1, Shrewsbury Township, 128-acre crop and livestock 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.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania agriculture, visit agriculture.pa.gov.

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