Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has invested $134 million to preserve 448 new farms and 37,194 prime acres of farmland across the state.
Farms were permanently preserved in Armstrong, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, Washington, and York counties.
Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania is investing more than $8.8 million to purchase development rights for 2,017 acres on 33 farms in 16 counties. The joint investment between state and local government protects the farms forever from residential or commercial development, ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have the high-quality land they need to continue feeding our families and supporting our economy.
Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has invested $134 million to preserve 448 new farms and 37,194 prime acres of farmland across the state.
“When farms are replaced by warehouses or housing developments, they are gone forever,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Productive, high-quality farmland is one of Pennsylvania’s most valuable natural resources and economic assets. The Shapiro Administration continues to stand up for Pennsylvania’s farmers, not just with words but with actions, investing to protect our priceless land, water, and soil resources, and fund the innovations that will keep Pennsylvania farmers competitive, and sustain their farms tomorrow.”
Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget recognizes that agriculture isn’t just part of Pennsylvania’s heritage – it’s key to our economic future. Nearly fifty thousand farms across Pennsylvania contribute $132.5 billion to our economy and support almost 600,000 jobs, making agriculture a key driver of Pennsylvania’s economy.
To continue Pennsylvania’s national legacy as an agriculture leader, the Governor’s 2025-26 budget proposes:
- An additional $13 million in the historic Agricultural Innovation Grant to help build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania. In its first open application period, the Ag Innovation Grant was oversubscribed by nearly $60 million and received 159 applications for nearly $70 million worth of innovation projects. In February, Governor Shapiro announced investments in 88 ag businesses in 46 Pennsylvania counties, which are funding transformative, state-of-the-art agricultural technologies across Pennsylvania today.
- Investing $2 million to keep Pennsylvania’s new animal diagnostic laboratory in the western part of the state operational, providing critical testing services for farmers to ensure their livestock remain healthy and viable for continued farming operations.
- An additional $4 million to connect Pennsylvanians at risk of hunger with healthy, local food through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System.
- ·A $4 million increase to the State Food Purchase Program to provide emergency food assistance for low-income Pennsylvanians.
Today’s approved easement purchases will multiply the impact of Pennsylvania dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), which is changing the landscape of rural PA. More than 2,000 Pennsylvania farmers have sought financial and technical support through ACAP to improve their management practices to have lasting impact not just on their farms, but on the entire region’s water and soil health. Increased funding for ACAP is reaching farmers across Pennsylvania who are eager for help funding their investments in the economic and environmental health of their farms.
Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters statewide overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,597 farms and 656,568 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.775 billion in state, county, and local funds.
The state partners with local governments and nonprofits to purchase development rights for preservation, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers.
Farms preserved at today’s PA Land Preservation Board Meeting are listed below by county, along with a breakdown of the total $8,830,954 invested:
Armstrong County – Total investment – $128,200; state – $87,317; county – $40,883
Clayholm Farms #1, 64-acre dairy farm, West Franklin Township
Berks County – Total investment - $815,771; state – $483,621; county – $332,150
Daniel H. and Barbara H. Laudenslayer, 48-acre crop farm, Oley Township
Morris A. and Donna M. Manley, 46-acre equine farm, Douglass Township
Timothy Ray and Amy Beth Martin, 51-acre crop and livestock farm, Tulpehocken Township
Howard J. and Jill Stark #2, 58-acre crop and livestock farm, Rockland Township
David G. and Ryan D. Zerr, 68-acre crop farm, Spring Township
Bucks County – Total investment – $342,000; state – $202,750; county – $139,250
Mark R. and Justina M. Thomas, 27-acre crop farm, Bedminster Township
Chester County – Total investment – $91,542; state – $7,347; county – $84,195
William A. Hutchings, III, 18-acre equine farm, London Britain Township
Cumberland County – Total investment – $328,594; state – $318,594; county – $10,000
Catherine Jane Cornman, 74-acre crop farm, Penn Township
Dauphin County – Total investment – $45,041; state – $6,401; county – $38,640
Shawn J. Reed and Sherri D. Keiter-Reed, 22-acre crop farm, Jackson Township
Lackawanna County – Total investment – $64,603; state only
Walter P. Rosengrant, Jr. and Bonnie J. Rosengrant, 26-acre equine farm, Benton Township
Lancaster County – Total investment – $576,843; state only
Bryan L. & Julene E. Harnish #2, 76-acre crop farm, Martic Township
Jonathan D. Pickell #1, 57-acre crop farm, Mount Joy Township
Lebanon County – Total investment – $189,384; state – $89,862; county – $99,522
Paul R. Meyer, 73-acre crop and livestock farm, East Hanover Township
Lehigh County – Total investment – $977,722; state – $394,393; county – $500,759; Heidelberg Township - $82,570
Kevin W. and Kelly Ebert, 47-acre equine farm, Heidelberg Township
Dennis J.W. and Kathleen A. Haas, 32-acre miscellaneous crop farm, Lowhill Township
Adam and Daniel Marsteller, 27-acre crop farm, Upper Milford Township
George D. and Dawn M. Schmidt, 34-acre fruit and vegetable farm, Heidelberg Township
Lycoming County – Total investment – $249,633; state – $235,119; county – $14,514
Robert W. and Catherine E. Gardner, 193-acre beef farm, Franklin Township
Montgomery County – Total investment – $981,811; state – $975,125; county – $6,686
Jersey Native #1, 16-acre fruit and vegetable farm, New Hanover Township
Gerald J. and Ruthann Sitko #1, 39-acre crop farm, Lower Pottsgrove Township
Northampton County – Total investment – $1,946,836; state – $1,287,010; county – $659,826
Thomas R. and JoLynn Engler, 49-acre crop farm, Plainfield Township
Estate of Evelyn I. Spengler, 37-acre crop farm, East Allen Township
Jacob R. and Amanda M. Klein #2, 16-acre crop farm, Forks Township
James R. Poliskiewicz, Jr., 41-acre crop farm, Upper Mt. Bethel Township
Roger C. and Trudy P. Unangst #3, 50-acre crop farm, East Allen Township
Schuylkill County – Total investment – $555,740; state – $425,740; county – $130,000
Jerry L. and Edna F. Musser #1, 124-acre crop & livestock farm, South Manheim Township
Ivan S. and Darlene W. Newswanger #1, 145-acre crop and livestock farm, Wayne Township
Washington County – Total investment – $307,351; state only
David W. and Rachel E. Dinger, 98-acre crop and livestock farm, Deemston Borough
York County – Total investment – $1,229,884; state – $923,739; county – $306,145
Barley Farms #10, 50-acre crop farm, Chanceford Township
Barley Farms #11, 91-acre crop farm, Chanceford Township
Harold R. Miller, Jr.; Nancy B., Dean H. and Linda A. Miller #1, 87-acre crop farm, East Hopewell Township
Wayne B. Mummert, Jr. and Bernadette L. Mummert #1, 116-acre crop farm, Paradise Township
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
Learn how Governor Josh Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy recognizes agriculture as key to our future economic success. Read more about commonsense investments to keep Pennsylvania agriculture competitive and thriving in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal at shapirobudget.pa.gov.
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