ALLENTOWN – In its ongoing effort to preserve a foundational element of its heritage – agriculture – Lehigh County has added two more properties to its catalog of preserved farms.

On Thursday, the state approved $493,414 to preserve a 25-acre crop farm in Upper Milford Township and a 54-acre crop farm in Lynn Township. The new additions will bring the number of preserved farms in Lehigh County to 421, totaling 28,775 acres. Another 18 properties are in the pipeline.

The designation protects the farms from commercial or residential development. In many cases, farm owners have rejected lucrative offers from developers out of a commitment to save the land.

Preservation is accomplished with state funds or with a mix of local and state money. The value of the process goes beyond the importance of food and dairy production. It is part of a broader strategy of sensible development, according to County Executive Josh Siegel.

“Lehigh County residents concerned about data centers, overdevelopment, sprawl and preservation of agricultural lands should rest assured; Lehigh County remains committed to being a leader in farmland preservation,” Siegel said. “Farming is an integral part of Pennsylvania’s economy and central to the story of our state and region, we must continue to preserve farmland to protect a critical industry and also drive development in a strategic and responsible way.”

Last year, through state and local investment, Pennsylvania preserved 167 farms totaling 14,147 acres, investing more than $50.1 million.

Information provided to TVL by:
Daniel Sheehan