Shapiro Administration Invests $10.2 Million to Protect 29 Farms, 2,044 Acres in 15 Counties from Commercial or Residential Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2023
CONTACT: Shannon Powers, shpowers@pa.gov, 717.603.2056

Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania preserved 2,044 acres on 29 farms in 15 counties, forever protecting them from future residential or commercial development. The investment of more than $10.2 million in state, county, and local dollars preserves prime farmland, helping Pennsylvania farms continue feeding our families and our economy in the future. The investment illustrates Governor Josh Shapiro’s continued commitment to Pennsylvania’s rural economy and conserving land, soil and water resources to feed future prosperity.

Governor Shapiro’s budget proposes critical investments in Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agriculture industry, including $13.8 million to fully fund the Pennsylvania Farm Bill for the fifth year, a $1 million investment for the creation of a new Organic Center of Excellence, $500,000 for a new Center for Plant Excellence, and $2.5 million for the Farmland Preservation Program – ensuring resources will be available for counties to produce food and feed Pennsylvania’s economy.

“Prime soil and clean water are critical resources for feeding a growing population,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Families who preserve their farms forge a partnership with government, investing together in ensuring that future Pennsylvania families will have green spaces, and the resources to produce food, income, and jobs. Connecting businesses and communities to resources they need to sustain our economy and feed our quality of life is a key goal of the Shapiro Administration.”

Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,231 farms and 626,321 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.67 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county and sometimes local governments and non-profits to purchase development rights, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling their land’s development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain farms and never be sold to developers.

The newly preserved farms are in Adams, Berks, Butler, Centre, Clinton, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lehigh, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Union, and Wayne counties.

Farms preserved today and dollars invested, by county:

Adams County – Total investment – $1,123,968, $34,776 – state, $521,300 – county,
$567,892 – township
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. #26, Conewago Township, 80-acre horse farm
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. #34, Union Township, 63-acre horse farm
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. #35, Union Township, 90-acre horse farm
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. #36, Union Township, 35-acre horse farm
Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc. #37, Conewago Township, 56-acre horse farm

Berks County – Total investment – $703,376, $604,966 – state, $98,410 – county
The Nathaniel S. and Rebecca Weaver Burkholder Farm, Richmond Township, 77-acre crop and livestock farm
The Charles M. III and Linda L. Evans Farm, Jefferson Township, 51-acre crop farm
The Elizabeth Moore Farm, Tulpehoken Township, 120-acre dairy farm

Butler County- Total investment – $965,706, $940,706 – state, $25,000 county
The Debra S., DuWayne L., Ronald K. Flinner and Kimberly R.Cunningham Farm, Muddy Creek Township, 58-acre crop farm
The H. George, Kathleen J., and Daniel Joseph Hartzell Farm #3, Slippery Rock Township, 144-acre crop farm

Centre County – Total investment – $632,152, $582,152 – state, $50,000 – county
The Leo and Bernard Corl Farm, Benner Township, 156-acre crop and livestock farm

Clinton County – Total investment – $128,346, $98,346 – state, $30,000 – county
The Justin J. Snook Farm #1, Greene Township, 60-acre crop and livestock farm

Cumberland County – Total investment – $747,775, $297,775 – state, $450,000 county
The Jerry L. and Sherri A. Mills Farm, Dickinson Township, 134-acre dairy farm
The Steven W. and Thomas H. Nealy Farm #6, North Newton Township, 68-acre crop farm

Lancaster County – Total investment – $331,415, $19,782 – state, $267,983 – county, $43,650 – township
The Joel A. and Jaclyn L. Frey, and Wayne L. and Maryanne W. Hershey Farm, Manor Township, 42-acre crop farm
The Christ L. and Martha K. Riehl Farm, Mt. Joy Township, 19-acre crop and livestock farm
The David J. Smucker Farm, Caernarvon Township, 44-acre dairy farm

Lehigh County – Total investment – $630,096, $515,714 – state, $5,000 – county,
$109,382 – township
The Curtis C. and Janet C. Hoffman Farm, North Whitehall Township, 84-acre crop farm

Mifflin County- Total investment – $93,849, $72,798 – state, $21,050 – county
The Shawn D. and Emily J. Yoder Farm, Menno Township, 65-acre dairy farm

Monroe County – Total investment – $423,419 state only
The Homer Borger, Jr. Farm, Eldred Township, 80-acre crop farm

Montgomery County – Total investment – $1,863,665, $1,367,042 – state, $211,623 – county, $285,000 – township
The College Settlement of Philadelphia Farm, Horsham Township, 30-acre crop farm

Northampton County – Total investment – $2,105,710, $1,699,543 – state, $406,167 – county
The Malika Chaib Farm, Moore Township, 13-acre crop farm
The Jeffrey Lynn Setzer and Randy Craig Farm, Lower Nazareth Township, 129-acre crop farm
Anton Michael Bon Shannon and Lisa A. Miskelly Farm, Lower Nazareth Township, 13-acre crop farm
The Mary Ellen Wetzel Farm #1, Moore Township, 37-acre crop farm

Northumberland County – Total investment – $169,587, $163,000 – state, $6,588 – county
Sandra L. Mincemoyer and Mincemoyer Irrevocable Trust Farm, Delaware Township, 89-acre crop farm

Union County – Total investment – $4,470, $4,469 – state, $1 – county
The Matthew B. Stewart Farm, White Deer Township, 11-acre crop farm

Wayne County – Total investment – $287,634, $282,455 – state, $5,178 – county
The Justin G. and Alison T. Hoffman Farm #1, Manchester Township, 54-acre crop farm
The Barbara Ann and Steve L. VanOrden Farm #1, Damascus Township, 146-acre crop farm

These investments will multiply public dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the new $154 million Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, supporting farmers’ efforts to reduce water pollution and improve soil quality. Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program also secured a $7.85 million federal grant from USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program to support climate-smart conservation on preserved Pennsylvania farms, an investment that will not only improve conservation efforts, but help measure their impact.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania agriculture, visit agriculture.pa.gov.