Chester County's 500th Farm Preserved

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Chester County celebrated a milestone earlier this month when they officially preserved their 500th farm.

The 109-acre plot stretches across Upper Oxford and West Fallowfield, and is owned by Gerald and Cindy Rohrer. It brings the total acreage of preserved farmland in Chester County up to nearly 40,000, the county said.

The open space preservation program, ongoing for decades, helps keep Chester County's iconic rural character intact while providing numerous other benefits to the area.

“Chester County has been actively investing in open space for nearly 30 years, and that decision is now paying dividends in ways that I believe the original County Commissioners who started the program would not have thought possible,” Commissioners’ Chair Michelle Kichline said in a statement.

Envrionmental conservation, public trail use, park extensions, protection of historical and natural resources, local and fresh food, and improved local property values are just a few of the benefits of the program touted by the county.

The Rohrer farm has been in the family since 1966, when it operated as a dairy farm. Since then, it's been used to raise heifers and for crop growth, including corn, hay, and mulch today.

"I grew up on this farm and believe that it is very important to keep it as a farm," Gerald Rohrer said. "The highest and best use of this land is for farming, with good soils that support the growth of crops."

Image via Chester County