Pennsylvania has preserved 1,519 acres on 22 farms in 11 counties, including land owned by Schuylkill County Commissioner Baron Hetherington, forever protecting them from residential or commercial development.

The development rights approved for purchase by the State Land Preservation Board represent a more than $5.8 million investment in ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have farmland to feed families.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters supported creation of the Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,336 farms and 634,375 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.69 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county, and sometimes local government and nonprofits 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.

Farms include:

Lehigh County

(Total investment – $1,645,867; $220,018 – state, $1,425,848 – county)

William G. and Cheryl C. Ash and Brian Brady, Heidelberg Township, horse farm

Weinhofer Farms LLC, Whitehall Township, 154-acre crop farm

Errol W. and Virginia A. Zellner, Brenda Kay and Robert Price, Washington Township, 28-acre crop farm

Northampton County

(Total investment – $552,772, state only)

Jody L. and Megan M. Snyder, Lehigh Township, 33-acre crop farm

Weinhofer Farms LLC #3, East Allen Township, 16-acre crop farm

Schuylkill County

(Total investment – $608,850; $543,850 – state, $65,000 – county)

Baron and Robin Hetherington #2, Union Township, 50-acre crop farm

William K. Stump #1, Wayne Township, 157-acre crop farm

Carl H. and Edith E. Wehry and Carl J. Wehry #1, Barry Township, 84-acre crop and livestock farm.