Pennsylvania Adds 22 Farms, Nearly 2,000 Acres to Preservation Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Agricultural Land Preservation Board today safeguarded 1,906 additional acres on 23 farms in 11 counties through the state's nationally renowned farmland preservation program.

The board preserved farms in Berks, Bucks, Cambria, Columbia, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Wayne counties.

Since the program began in 1988, state, county and local governments have invested nearly $1.2 billion to preserve 475,000 acres on 4,426 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.

"Our farmland preservation program plays a critical role in keeping agriculture the cornerstone of Pennsylvania's economy," Agriculture Secretary George Greig said. "The producers who preserve their farms are helping ensure our prime farmland stays in agriculture production for generations to come, even against the challenges of population growth and urbanization."

In its 25^th year, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program identifies properties and slows the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses.

The program enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.

In some cases, the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program provides additional assistance. Last fiscal year, Pennsylvania received a record $6.1 million in federal reimbursements.

For more information, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and search "farmland preservation."

Media contact: Will Nichols, 717-787-5085

Editor's Note: A list of the farms preserved follows:

Berks

• The Larry K. and Patricia Bauscher farm #1, a 106.60-acre crop and livestock

Bucks

• The Eugene J. and Margaret E. Sopel, a 62.99-acre crop farm

Cambria

• The Keith and Mary Ellen Bard farm #1, a 159.88-acre crop and livestock operation

Columbia

• The Matthew S. and Barbara A. Balliet farm #1, a 283.10-acre crop farm

Franklin

• The Bentley K. and Bruce Gamble farm, an 87.58-acre crop and livestock operation

Lackawanna

• Amasa Hill Farm, a 46.39-acre crop and livestock operation

Lancaster

• The Harold III and Anna Barley farm, a 23.51-acre crop farm
• The James H. and Judith A. Bollinger farm, a 94.76-acre crop and livestock operation
• The Homer and Etta Eberly farm, a 67.17-acre crop and livestock operation
• The J. Leslie and Marcia Hess farm, a 39.43-acre crop farm
• The Paul B. and Wilma M. Leid farm, a 24.02-acre crop and livestock operation
• The Galen and Nancy Martin farm, an 84.99-acre crop farm
• The Gilbert and Sandra Martin farm, a 43.15-acre crop farm
• The Herbert and Rhoda Mast farm, a 108.10-acre crop and livestock operation
• The Paul and J. Mark Miller farm, an 84.21-acre crop and livestock operation
• The David, Ruth, John and Linda Smucker farm, a 60.34-acre crop and livestock operation

Lehigh

• The Michael Crossley farm, a 69.27-acre crop farm
• The Harold V. and Linda L. Tyson farm, a 207.69-acre crop and livestock operation

Monroe

• The Stuart J. and Darlene A. Klingel farm, a 16.77-acre crop farm
• The Jeanne Marie Gibson farm, a 67.72-acre crop farm

Northampton

• The Jeffrey C. and Nancy A. Deloglos farm, a 48.37-acre crop farm
• The Kuronya Family Trust farm, a 44.85-acre crop farm

Wayne

• The Susan Skurski farm #1, a 75.36-acre crop and livestock operation

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture