HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania moved aggressively in 2025 to shield its agricultural backbone from encroaching development, preserving hundreds of farms and thousands of acres of prime farmland through a statewide investment topping $50 million, state officials announced Thursday.
The Shapiro Administration said the Commonwealth invested more than $6.9 million in its latest round to purchase development rights on 27 farms spanning 2,354 acres in 13 counties, permanently protecting the land from residential or commercial development. The approvals bring Pennsylvania’s total for the year to 167 farms and 14,147 acres preserved statewide, with combined state and local investments exceeding $50.1 million.
The easements were approved by the State Agricultural Land Preservation Board for farms in Adams, Berks, Butler, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Mercer, Northampton, Perry, Union, and York counties.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said farmland preservation is both an economic and food security strategy, emphasizing that prime agricultural land is among Pennsylvania’s most valuable assets. He said the current investments, backed by the 2025–26 state budget, are aimed at keeping farms viable, competitive, and in production for future generations.
Since Governor Josh Shapiro took office, Pennsylvania has invested nearly $147 million to preserve 499 farms and 41,628 acres statewide, officials said.
Through the Farmland Preservation Program, the Commonwealth partners with counties and conservation organizations to buy development rights, allowing farmers to retain ownership while ensuring the land remains dedicated to agriculture. Pennsylvania remains the national leader in preserved farms, with 6,648 farms and 661,035 acres protected across 58 counties since voters created the program in 1988. Total investment since then exceeds $1.84 billion.
State officials said agriculture is a cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy, with nearly 49,000 farms contributing $132.5 billion annually and supporting almost 600,000 jobs. The sector is one of five industries prioritized in the Governor’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy.
The latest approvals include farms facing intense development pressure, particularly in southcentral Pennsylvania. Two Adams County farms in Conewago Township pushed the total preserved land owned by Hanover Shoe Farms’ owners past 3,100 acres. In York County, the Phillips family preserved its fourth farm, bringing its protected acreage to 1,000.
County-by-county investments varied widely, led by Adams County at $1,426,707 and York County at $1,197,059. Lancaster County preserved four farms through a mix of state, county, municipal, and nonprofit funding, while Dauphin County secured more than $767,000 in state-only investments. Smaller but strategic easements were approved in Perry and Union counties, underscoring the program’s reach across rural Pennsylvania.
Officials said the preservation effort also amplifies broader conservation programs, including the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, which has drawn participation from more than 2,700 farmers seeking to improve soil and water health while strengthening farm operations.
With development pressure mounting across much of the Commonwealth, state leaders framed the year’s preservation totals as a decisive step to keep Pennsylvania’s farmland working, productive, and permanently protected.
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