Pennsylvania has protected 2,046 acres on 24 farms in 10 counties from future development, investing nearly $7.5 million in state, county, local and nonprofit dollars to ensure that prime farmland is not lost to development.

As of Oct. 13, according to a news release, Pennsylvania has now protected 6,118 farms and 616,713 acres in 58 counties from future commercial, industrial or residential development.

The newly preserved farms are in Berks, Bucks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Wyoming and York counties.

Farms preserved in Lehigh County include:

·The Michael G. and Karin M. Bowman Farm, Heidelberg Township, a 26-acre crop farm; and

·The Adam B. and Amanda L. Dietrich Farm, Lynn Township, a 44-acre crop farm.

Dollars invested total $366,371, of which the state provided $356,371; county, $5,000, and township, $5,000.

“Every dollar spent protecting prime farmland from development is an investment in our economy, our environment, our quality of life, and our ability to feed Pennsylvania’s families and economy,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Preserving land resources is one of the most important investments we make together, across every level of government, hand in hand with farm families investing to guard their legacy of daily hard work and sacrifice to feed us all.”

By selling their land’s development rights, landowners ensure that their farm will remain a farm and never be sold for residential, commercial or industrial development.

Farm families often sell their land at below market value, donate additional land, or agree to conservation practices on their farms in order to leverage additional federal and state money to preserve more family farms.

Pennsylvania partners with county and sometimes local governments and nonprofits to purchase development rights, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security and leading the nation in the number of preserved farms.

Since 1988, Pennsylvania has invested more than $1.6 billion to protect open, green spaces and food production for the future.