81-Acre Montgomery County Farm Preserved By PA State Program

An 81-acre Montgomery County farm is among the record 3,620 acres that have been added to the state's farmland preservation program, the Department of Agriculture announced.

A meeting on Oct. 12 finalized the decision to preserve the acreage from 44 farms across the state.

“Pennsylvania is a rich and diverse state, and our agriculture industry reflects that in its people, its products, and its farms,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding in a statement. “In each corner of our state and everywhere in-between, agriculture is unique, important, and threatened by pressures of development, challenging markets, and a host of other factors. Despite these challenges, the 40 families who stepped forward today to preserve their operations did so because they want to see their land remain in production agriculture in perpetuity. They are committed to the future of agriculture here, so we’re committed to investing in them.”

In Montgomery County, the Joint Trust of John S. and Verna M. Wentz farm #1, an 81-acre crop farm, was preserved.

Nearby in Chester County, the following farms were preserved:

• The Christian L. and Fannie K. Fisher farm, an 84-acre crop and livestock operation (Elk)
• The R&A Manfredi farm #1, a 95.7-acre crop and livestock operation
• The I&A Stoltzfus farm, a 43.4-acre crop and livestock operation (Cochranville)

A Bucks County farm, the Carl Kwartnik farm, a 57-acre crop and livestock operation, was also included, rounding out the Philadelphia area.

The group of farms preserved in last weekend's meeting is the largest amount of farmland protected by the state in any one motion, Redding said.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program was launched in 1988 and has invested $1.4 billion to preserve 542,800 acres on 5,213 farms in 59 counties for future agricultural production, according to the state.

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