HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania will invest more than $10.2 million to preserve 31 farms and 2,645 acres from future development, as part of an ongoing effort to protect agricultural land and support the state’s farming industry.
What This Means for You
- More than 2,600 acres of farmland will be permanently protected from development
- Farmers receive payment for giving up the right to sell land for housing or commercial use
- The program helps maintain local food production and rural economies
The State Agricultural Land Preservation Board approved conservation easements across 20 counties, including Chester, Lancaster, York, and Bucks.
A conservation easement allows a farmer to sell development rights while keeping ownership of the land, ensuring it remains in agricultural use permanently.
How The Program Works
Through the Farmland Preservation Program, the state partners with counties and local governments to purchase development rights from farmers who voluntarily agree not to sell their land for non-agricultural use.
Officials said the program creates long-term protection for farmland while providing financial support to farm families.
“Many of these farmers have been offered the opportunity to sell their land for development, but they’ve chosen instead to stay committed to feeding our Commonwealth,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
Local And Statewide Impact
The newly approved projects span Berks, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Washington, Westmoreland, and York counties.
In Chester County, more than $1 million was invested to preserve farms in Lower Oxford and Sadsbury townships.
In York County, the largest county investment totaled more than $1.7 million across multiple farms.
One of the preserved properties, the Marsteller farm in York County, contributes to a 2,700-acre block of protected farmland built through multiple easements over decades.
“It’s been important for me and my family to not only farm the land, but to make sure that there are farms, and productive ones, for the future,” farmer John Marsteller Jr. said.
Continued Investment In Agriculture
State officials said the latest funding builds on recent investments, including $7.1 million announced earlier this year to preserve 25 farms.
In 2025, Pennsylvania preserved 167 farms and more than 14,000 acres, with total investments exceeding $50 million.
Since the program began in 1988, Pennsylvania has preserved 6,704 farms and more than 665,000 acres across 58 counties, with more than $1.84 billion invested.
Role In The State Economy
Agriculture remains a major part of Pennsylvania’s economy, with nearly 49,000 farms contributing $132.5 billion and supporting about 600,000 jobs.
Officials said preserving farmland helps maintain that economic base while preventing the loss of prime agricultural land to development.
The state has also invested in agricultural innovation, conservation, and disease mitigation programs as part of a broader strategy to support long-term growth in the sector.
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