HARRISBURG, Feb. 16, 2011 — An additional 112 acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved through the purchase of conservation easements valued at $279,750 dollars that were approved today by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Preservation Board member.
According to the senator, the following farm will be preserved:
Family Municipality Acres Preserved
Wolfskill Family Farm Lower Heidelberg Twp. 111.9
“Our farmlands play a crucial role in the vitality of our state and local economy, so it’s imperative that we preserve our agricultural industry,” Schwank said. “I’m pleased that another family farm has been preserved, thanks to the preservation board.”
Statewide, 4,243 farms totaling 459,007 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County 635 farms consisting of 64,403 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
The Agricultural Land Preservation Board is intended to permanently preserve large clusters of viable agricultural lands by acquiring agricultural conservation easements (ACE). An ACE prevents the development of the land for any purpose besides productive agriculture.
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