On June 13, Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board announced the preservation of 47 farms across Pennsylvania. “Preserving farmland is a team effort among diverse groups united in our effort to spare the state’s best agricultural soils from development,” said Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Together we help farmers to take an important read more
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June
30
April
Pennsylvania Senate Confirms Dunn for DCNR Secretary, Redding as Agriculture Secretary
On April 30, the Senate voted to reconfirm Cindy Adams Dunn as secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Russell Redding as secretary of Agriculture. Cindy Adams Dunn Dunn has led DCNR since she was nominated as Acting Secretary in January 2015 and was later confirmed by the Senate. She returned to the agency where she worked under three read more
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January
Brandywine Conservancy Receives Grant to Acquire 569-Acre Natural Area
The Brandywine Conservancy has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to be used towards the acquisition of a 569-acre natural area along the Octoraro Creek in Lower Oxford and West Nottingham Townships, Chester County. This area is a portion of the 952-acre Glenroy Farm property that spans Chester and read more
4
January
WPC Protects Farm as Part of Farmland Access Initiative
On January 3, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) announced the acquisition of farmland in Findley Township, Mercer County that will soon be available for lease to local farmers to grow crops or raise livestock as part of the Conservancy’s program to help support the local food economy by making land more accessible to local farmers. The demand for locally grown food, read more
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August
Another 30 Farms, 2,300 Acres, Protected Through ACEPP
On August 10, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding announced that Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board permanently preserved 2,303 acres on 30 farms in 16 counties for agricultural production. “These newly preserved farms represent an investment in the future of our state economy, our environment, and the world’s food supply,” said Redding. read more
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July
Four Farms Receive Clean-Water Award
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection, recently presented the operators of four farms with the Clean-Water Farm Award during its annual conference in Lancaster. The honor is awarded annually to farmers who manage their daily farm operations in an environmentally conscious manner that helps to read more
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May
Tinicum Conservancy Helps Preserve 57-Acre Farm
With the assistance of the Tinicum Conservancy, Carl Kwartnik and Maureen Santina recently conserved their 57-acre farm in Durham Township through the Bucks County Agricultural Open Space program and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program. The property sits on the upper southern slope of the Cooks Creek watershed, which is a Pennsylvania read more
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October
DEP to Cover Cost of 800 Agricultural Plans for Clean Water
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will reimburse farmers in Pennsylvania’s part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for the cost of preparing hundreds of agricultural plans for clean water. “We know it can be a challenge, especially for small operations, to afford fees for technical help on plans for pollutant reduction in local streams and rivers,” said DEP read more
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September
WPC Launches Farmland Access Initiative
The demand for locally grown food is rapidly increasing in the Pittsburgh region. Rising costs of land make it difficult for farmers (particularly new farmers) to find farmland close to urban markets. To address these needs, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Farmland Access Initiative will acquire land to lease to local farmers. During the next three years, the read more
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June
Land Conservancy of Adams County Preserves 170 Acres at Hauser Estate Winery
This spring the Land Conservancy of Adams County partnered with the owners of the Hauser Estate Winery in Franklin Township to permanently preserve 170 acres of the vineyard as agricultural land. The Hauser property was an exceptionally important candidate for preservation. The winery sits between Boyer Nurseries and Orchards, which was preserved by the Land Conservancy in read more
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December
It’s Official: Barnard’s Orchard Permanently Conserved
With the completion of paperwork and the signing of the agricultural conservation easement in December, Barnard's Orchard, a Chester County landmark for over 150 years, is now officially protected in perpetuity. The easement adds over 70 acres to already-protected lands in Newlin Township. The project was made possible by the Barnard Family and The Land Conservancy for read more
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December
114-acre Farm Preserved in Warwick Township, Chester County
Natural Lands Trust announced recently the conservation of the Yoder Farm, a 114-acre property in Warwick Township, Chester County. The scenic farm forms the gateway vista into Warwick Township. The property lies in the upper reaches of French Creek near the western boundary of the Hopewell Big Woods, the largest unbroken forest remaining in southeastern Pennsylvania. In read more
