HARRISBURG, Feb. 18, 2016 – Five more Berks County farms totaling 393 acres will be protected from future development following the approval of their applications today by Pennsylvania’s farmland preservation program, state Sen. Judy Schwank said.
“We closed out 2015 by preserving Berks County’s 700th farm and I’m pleased to report that we are continuing to lead this green effort in a strong way by adding five new farms to the preservation program,” Sen. Schwank, a member of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, said following the panel’s decision. “The largest farm preserved today is 119 acres; the smallest, 21 acres. But they are all living large because of their commitment to agriculture in Berks County.”
The five farms added to the farmland preservation program received total ag easements of $979,250. The tracts are owned by:
- Glenn & Janet Brubaker, Marion Township, 102.7 acres
- Burkholder & Sauder families, Maxatawny Township, 79.3 acres
- Charles Durkin Jr., Albany Township, 70.3 acres
- Charles Durkin Jr. #2, Albany Township, 119.2 acres, and
- Michael Laskoskie, Perry Township, 20.6 acres
Berks County now has 705 farms – and 69,861 acres – in the state’s farmland preservation program. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the program.
Since the farmland preservation program started in 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 4,919 farms totaling 518,827 acres.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
For more information on PA’s farmland preservation program, visit the Bureau of Farmland Preservation’s website.
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