Learn How to Preserve Farms in Chester County with the Agricultural Land Preservation Board

FarmImage via Pixabay

WEST CHESTER, PA — Do you live in Chester County and want to learn how to preserve your local farms? The Chester County Agricultural Land Preservation Board says it is here to help! They are currently accepting applications for the Commonwealth/County Program and the Chester County Challenge Grant Program. These two programs have helped preserve more than 560 farms totaling over 43,000 acres in Chester County. If you’re interested in preserving your community’s farmland, read on for more information!

The Chester County Board of Commissioners has established two programs to encourage the preservation of farmland within Chester County – the Commonwealth/County Program and the Chester County Challenge Grant Program. Both programs provide financial assistance to qualifying farm owners who are interested in placing a permanent agricultural conservation easement on their land.

The County/Commonwealth Program and Challenge Grant Program are both available to farms with at least 10 acres of tillable land. If the farm is not adjacent to any permanently preserved land, then the minimum acreage requirement for the County/Commonwealth Program is 35 acres and the minimum acreage requirement for the Challenge Grant Program is 25 acres.

These programs help to preserve farmland so that it can be used for agricultural purposes in the future. The programs also help to encourage farmers to use sustainable farming practices, which can help to protect the environment.

If you are interested in preserving farmland, please visit www.chesco.org/4618/Farmland-Preservation for more information or call Geoff Shellington, Chester County Agricultural Programs Coordinator, at 610-344-6504 or email gshellington@chesco.org. The deadline for both programs is August 5, 2022.

READ:  Chester County Weather: A Rollercoaster Ride Through Sun, Rain, and Everything In-Between!

For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News.