Pennsylvania spends $439,760 on farmland preservation in Lanco
Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $7.1 million to purchase development rights for 1,905 acres on 25 farms in 17 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development.
“Farmland tells the story of Pennsylvania, of generations who worked the land, cared for its resources, and built communities that endure,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “In this America250 year, and through the 2025–26 budget, the Shapiro Administration is honoring that legacy by protecting our land, water, and soil, supporting the next generation of farmers, and investing in the innovation and infrastructure that will sustain Pennsylvania agriculture for generations to come.”
In 2025, Pennsylvania preserved 167 farms and 14,147 prime acres of farmland across the state, investing more than $50.1 million. These joint investments by state and local governments ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the prime-quality land they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs.
Through Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, the state partners with local governments and nonprofits to purchase development rights to preserve farmland, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling development rights, farm owners ensure their farms remain in agricultural production and are never sold to developers.
Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farms. Since 1988, when voters statewide overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,673 farms and 662,940 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.84 billion in state, county, and local funds.
Governor Josh Shapiro recognizes that agriculture is not only part of Pennsylvania’s heritage, but it’s also essential to the Commonwealth’s economic future. Nearly 49,000 farms contribute $132.5 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and support almost 600,000 jobs. That’s why agriculture is one of five key industries prioritized in the Governor’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy — the first of its kind in more than two decades.
Pennsylvania’s investments in easement purchases multiply the impact of dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), which is changing the landscape of rural Pennsylvania. More than 2,900 farmers in Pennsylvania have sought financial and technical support from ACAP to improve their management practices and have a lasting impact not just on their farms but on the entire region’s water and soil health. To date, 165 ACAP-funded projects totaling $25 million are on preserved farms.
Two of the farms preserved today also demonstrate how strategic state and federal partnerships stretch conservation dollars and protect more farmland across Pennsylvania. Through these partnerships, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Kittatinny Ridge Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), easement funds are reimbursed to the state and reinvested locally to preserve additional farms on county waiting lists. In Schuylkill County, the Dunn family enrolled their 76-acre crop farm in West Penn Township through ACEP, while in Lebanon County, the Musser family’s 70-acre farm in North Annville Township was added to the growing list of preserved farms along the Kittatinny Ridge, bringing the total to 16 farms and more than 1,400 acres. Designated a Sentinel Landscape in 2024, the area is recognized for its clean-water benefits and its role as a vital wildlife migration corridor.
Farms preserved at today’s Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board Meeting are listed below by county, along with a breakdown of the total $7,084,937 invested:
Adams County – Total investment – $321,089; state-only
Daniel R. Trimmer, 105-acre crop farm, Hamilton Township
Beaver County – Total investment – $234,140; state-only
William McNary, Jr. and Deborah K. McNary, 62-acre crop and livestock farm, Hanover Township
Berks County – Total investment – $133,820; state – $24,399; county – $109,421
Lou W. Gougler, 44-acre crop and livestock farm, Tilden Township
Butler County – Total investment – $188,829; state – $186,729; county – $2,100
Frank C. Ruckdeschel Jr. and Margaret A. Ruckdeschel, Trustees of the Ruckdeschel Family Real Estate Trust, 43-acre crop and livestock farm, Buffalo Township
Carbon County – Total investment – $206,544; state – $156,933; county – $49,611
John Michael and Diane M. Strockoz, 27-acre crop farm, East Penn Township
Centre County – Total investment – $166,685; state – $141,685; county – $25,000
Leo E. and Bernard L. Corl #2, 42-acre crop farm, Benner Township
Crawford County – Total investment – $16,058; state – $16,057; county – $1
Stephen L. Mandl, 125-acre dairy farm, West Shenango Township
Cumberland County – Total investment – $640,084; state – $446,832; county – $193,252
Reza G. Azizkhan, 49-acre crop farm, Monroe Township
S. Richard Brenneman, 113-acre crop farm, South Middleton Township
Dauphin County – Total investment – $362,978; state-only
Norman S. Beiler Jr. and Malinda K. Beiler, 78-acre crop farm, Upper Paxton Township
Daniel P. Bolton #1, 97-acre crop farm, Upper Paxton Township
Lancaster County – Total investment – $439,760; state – $202,080; county – $187,680; Penn Township – $50,000
Michael L. and Kelly D. Cassel #2, 59-acre crop farm, Penn Township
Donegal Farms, 46-acre crop farm, East Donegal Township
Lebanon County – Total investment – $846,661; state – $593,470; county – $253,191
Kirby L. and Sheryl A. Horst, 111-acre poultry farm, Millcreek Township
John P. and Ricki L. Light, 151-acre poultry farm, Swatara Township
Steve L. and Kendra J. Musser, 70-acre crop farm, North Annville Township
Lehigh County – Total investment – $1,655,712; state – $1,401,942; county – $14,994; Weisenberg Township – $16,370; North Whitehall Township – $189,658; Heidelberg Township – $32,748
Joseph F. Sivel Jr. and Karen E. Sivel, 81-acre miscellaneous crop farm, Weisenberg Township
Kenneth P. and Heather J. Skorinko #1, 83-acre crop and livestock farm, North Whitehall Township
Earl O. Zellner Jr. and Kelly A. Zellner #2, 62-acre crop and livestock farm, Heidelberg and Washington Townships
Luzerne County – Total investment – $291,907; state-only
David M. Potkey, 79-acre crop farm, Sugarloaf Township
Northampton County – Total investment – $843,740; state – $633,050; county – $210,690
Connie A. Muschko and Kay L. Adams, 77-acre crop farm, Lehigh Township
Connie A. Muschko and Kay L. Adams #2, 23-acre crop farm, Lehigh Township
Schuylkill County – Total investment – $163,580; state – $98,580; county – $65,000
James D. and Tammie L. Dunn #1, 76-acre crop farm, West Penn Township
Somerset County – Total investment – $187,104; state – $181,635; county – $5,469
Tim E., Thomas E., and Suzanne K. Bell, 125-acre crop and livestock farm, Somerset Township
Westmoreland County – Total investment – $386,240; state-only
Sam J. and Mary Faith Stoner, 64-acre crop and livestock farm, Unity Township
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
