Nine Lehigh Valley farms, totaling 333 acres, will be preserved under a state investment program that protects them from future residential or commercial development.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced Thursday that more than 2,017 acres on 33 farms in 16 counties were part of a $8.8 million investment in state, county and local funds.
“Preserving farmland to ensure that it is available to farm for future generations by protecting it from future development is critically important,” said state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton. “Once again, working collaboratively, the commonwealth and Northampton County have made this investment to ensure another 193 acres will continue to benefit our region and our commonwealth.”
The five Northampton County farms had an investment of $1.9 million, including $1.2 million from the state and $659,826 from the county. They are:
- Thomas R. and JoLynn Engler’s 49-acre crop farm in Plainfield Township.
- Estate of Evelyn I. Spengler, a 37-acre crop farm in East Allen Township.
- Jacob R. and Amanda M. Klein’s 16-acre crop farm in Forks Township.
- James R. Polishkiewicz Jr.’s 41-acre crop farm in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
- Roger C. and Trudy P. Unangst’s 50-acre crop farm in East Allen Township.
“I have witnessed the crucial role that our local farmers play in sustaining our economy, supporting community food banks and charitable organizations, and providing for their own families,” said state Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton. “Their contributions play a vital role in society, highlighting the importance of safeguarding green spaces from commercial development. We must ensure they can continue to thrive and do what they do best.”
The four Lehigh County farms preserved in this round had an investment of $977,722, including $394,393 from the state, $500,759 from the county and $82,750 from Heidelberg Township. They are:
- Kevin W. and Kelly Ebert’s 47-acre equine farm in Heidelberg Township.
- Dennis J.W. and Kathleen A. Haas’ 32-acre crop farm in Lowhill Township.
- Adam and Daniel Marsteller’s 27-acre crop farm in Upper Milford Township.
- George D. and Dawn M. Schmidt’s 34-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Heidelberg Township.
State Rep. Milou Mackenzie said protecting farms, such as the Marsteller farm in her district, protects the future.
“The preservation of the Marsteller farm in our district not only safeguards productive agricultural land here in Lehigh County but also strengthens Pennsylvania’s farming heritage,” said Mackenzie, R-Lehigh/Northampton. “By keeping farms in the hands of farm families, we ensure that the next generation will continue to benefit from the fresh food, open space and strong communities that agriculture provides.”
The state partners with county and sometimes local governments and nonprofits to buy development rights. By selling development rights, property owners ensure that their properties will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers.
According to its website, Lehigh County has 413 preserved farms covering more than 28,000 acres. Northampton County has a similar program that has preserved 251 farms covering more than 19,000 acres since 1989.
Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,597 farms and 656,568 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.7 billion in state, county and local funds.
Outside of the Lehigh Valley, farmland was also preserved in Armstrong, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Montgomery, Schuylkill, Washington and York counties.
