HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board recently protected the future of farming for three Union County farms, according to Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23).
“Pennsylvania’s farmland preservation program has been very successful over the years, and has preserved countless farms across the 23rd Senate District,” Sen. Yaw said. “This program ensures that agriculture remains a top industry in our state, and I am happy to see three more farms added to the list.”
Farms preserved in Union County include:
- The John Clemens farm, a 93.86-acre crop farm;
- The Mark and Lori and Matthew and Toni Ann Marie Dersham farm #1, a poultry operation;
- The Calvin and JoAnn Stoltzfus farm #1, a 119.27-acre crop and livestock operation.
The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, as it is formally known, is dedicated to slowing the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. Funding allows state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements from owners of quality farmland. State, county, local, and federal funds committed during the Board’s meeting are allocated to county programs to purchase development rights to preserve farms on county waiting lists.
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
Nick Troutman
Director, Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee; Communications
T: (717) 787-3280