Pennsylvania this month has protected 2,478 acres on 30 farms in 18 counties from future residential, or commercial development, investing more than $8.9 million in state, county, local and nonprofit dollars in protecting prime farmland for the future.
Pennsylvania ends 2022 continuing to lead the nation, having protected 170 farms and 13,069 acres this year.
Included was, in Bucks County, the Matthew P. Goldenberg and Kelly Burland Farm, in Bedminster Township, a 106-acre crop and livestock farm. The total investment was $1,498,140, state - $1,234,175, county -$51,945, township - $212,020.
Governor Wolf increased funding for preserving farms by $5 million in his 2016-17 budget, and since January 2015, the administration has invested $273,065,874 in preserving 116,527 acres on 1,416 farms across the state. Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,148 farms and 619,191 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.6 billion in our agriculture industry’s ability to feed our families and our economy.
“Protecting prime farmland from development is one of the most important investments we make in our economy, our environment, and our quality of life,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “These farm families, together with every level of government, are investing in guarding their legacies and ensuring that other Pennsylvania families will have food, green spaces, income and jobs in the future.”
The newly preserved farms are also in Adams, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Tioga, Union, Westmoreland, and York counties.
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