State hits milestone in farmland preservation

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Pennsylvania recently reached the milestone of 550,000 acres of farmland preserved over the last three decades, the Wolf Administration announced Thursday.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program was founded in 1988 with the mission of slowing the loss of farmland to nonagricultural uses. Under the program, state, county, and local governments can purchase conservation easements from the owners of farmland.

To date, permanent easements on 5,329 farms in 58 counties have been purchased, totaling 552,703 acres.

Funding for the program under Gov. Tom Wolf has grown $12.5 million, or 45 percent, and 597 farms totaling 50,039 acres have been preserved.

“By investing our energy and resources in protecting Pennsylvania’s farmland, we are not simply investing in commodities; we’re investing in people and the future of agriculture and our ability to grow food,” Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding said. “Today’s landmark achievement represents a commitment to our agribusinesses, a commitment to our food system, a commitment to our communities, and a commitment to the future of the commonwealth.”

The agricultural industry contributes $135.7 billion to the economy with preserved farmland contributing more than $1 billion since 1988.

Redding also recently presented Heidel Hollow Farms with two bicentennial awards. The Bicentennial Farm Program recognizes family farms in operation for 200 years or more.