From Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
The Shapiro Administration recently announced that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $8.8 million to purchase development rights for 1,775 acres on 22 farms in 16 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development and continuing the Administration’s support of one of Pennsylvania’s key industries.
“The farm families we are investing in today have remained resilient and committed to the noble work of growing the food that helps feed their neighbors — and we are proud to help ensure that their family legacies are imbedded into our agriculture heritage for generations to come,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “The Shapiro Administration is grateful for their dedication to Pennsylvania’s agriculture, and we will continue to honor them by doubling down on our leadership in farmland preservation and investing in innovation and infrastructure that will help grow our agriculture industry.”
Among the farm families choosing to preserve their land are the Ickes family in Cumberland County and the Wisler family in Bucks County.
John and Joel Ickes preserved their farm in Penn Township, adding to an established block of protected farmland that now totals 518 contiguous acres. Their property becomes the 33rd farm preserved in the township.
The Wisler family preserved a 17.39-acre crop farm in Bedminster Township, Bucks County. The property is the third farm preserved by Thomas Wisler, who also owns an adjacent 90-acre preserved farm and a separate 28-acre county-preserved property, further expanding the area of permanently protected farmland in Bedminster Township.
In April, the Shapiro Administration announced an investment of more than $10.2 million to preserve 31 new farms and 2,645 acres. Thus far in 2026, 78 farms on 6,325 acres have been preserved. 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.
All of this is possible through Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, in which 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 6,726 farms and 667,360 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.84 billion in state, county, and local funds.
Farms preserved at the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board Meeting are listed below by county, along with a breakdown of the total $8,757,446 invested:
- Berks County – Total investment – $431,531; state – $410,223; county – $21,308
- Cynthia J. Moore, 152-acre crop farm, Lower Heidelberg Township
- Bucks County – Total investment – $248,265; state – $198,704; county – $23,476; Bedminster Township – $26,085
- Thomas C. Wisler #1, 17-acre crop farm, Bedminster Township
- Centre County – Total investment – $262,955; state – $231,582; county – $25,000; Ferguson Township – $6,373
- Ralph Strouse #1, 63-acre beef farm, Ferguson Township
- Chester County – Total investment – $1,125,377; state only
- Gerald Ray and Vicki Ann King, 101-acre crop and livestock farm, Highland Township
- Marvin W. and Carolyn M. King, 75-acre crop farm, Londonderry Township
- Columbia County – Total investment – $64,689; state only
- John C. and Suzanne Kay Brokenshire, 35-acre crop farm, Locust Township
- Cumberland County – Total investment – $1,228,970; state – $1,128,970; county – $100,000
- John M. Ickes II and Joel M. Ickes and Joyce D. Ickes Testamentary Trust, 134-acre beef farm, Penn Township
- Lehman-View Properties, 173-acre dairy farm, West Pennsboro Township
- Erie County – Total investment – $305,225; state only
- Stacey M. Chylinski #1, 184-acre crop and livestock farm, Greenfield Township
- Franklin County – Total investment – $830,798; state – $210,406; county – $620,392
- J. Andrew and Sandra Lee Gingrich, 118-acre crop farm, Peters Township
- Steven L. and Lynn M. Hykes, 141-acre crop and livestock farm, Antrim Township
- Paul E. and Pamela J. Witter #4, 79-acre crop farm, Southampton Township
- Lehigh County – Total investment – $296,832; state – $288,102; county – $2,007; Lower Milford Township – $3,250; North Whitehall Township – $3,473
- Richard K. and Nina Fair, 32-acre crop farm, Lower Milford Township
- Robert A. and Diane Schmidt #2, 13-acre crop farm, North Whitehall Township
- Mercer County – Total investment – $117,621; state only
- Matthew A. Stefanak, 102-acre crop farm, Shenango Township
- Mifflin County – Total investment – $140,602; state – $82,306; county – $58,296
- Mark S. and Sarah G. Hill, 94-acre crop farm, Granville Township
- Monroe County – Total investment – $562,702; state only
- Gary L. and Cecilia C. Warner, 95-acre crop farm, Chestnuthill Township
- Montgomery County – Total investment – $2,726,448; state – $2,485,000; county – $25,718; Franconia Township – $215,730
- Perry A. Hoagey, Trustee of the Perry A. Hoagey Revocable Trust, 16-acre crop and livestock farm, New Hanover Township
- Marianne P. Landis, 22-acre crop farm, Franconia Township
- Northampton County – Total investment – $213,764; state only
- Jonathan A. and Angela M. Templeton, 30-acre crop farm, Lower Mt. Bethel Township
- Schuylkill County – Total investment – $43,360; state – $25,180; county – $18,180
- Glenn R. Bensinger, Joan M. Conrad, Carol A. Herb, and Brenda Knorr #2, 18-acre crop farm, Eldred Township
- Wayne County – Total investment – $158,305; state – $137,739; county – $20,566
- William R. and R. Zachary Bryant Partnership, 71-acre crop and livestock farm, Damascus Township
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.
The Shapiro Administration has also prioritized long-term agricultural growth and resilience by:
- Creating the nation’s first Ag Innovation Program and investing $20 million to help build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania.
- Investing $1 million to establish the Organic Center of Excellence and the PA Preferred Organic™ brand.
- Fully funding the Pennsylvania Farm Bill each year to support business planning, infrastructure, and workforce development.
- Committing more than $65 million to mitigate Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and support poultry farmers, and funding a new state-of-the-art animal health laboratory in Western Pennsylvania.
- Continuing the Fresh Food Financing Initiative to expand access to local food and support small businesses.
- Investing $82 million through the Clean Streams Fund to expand the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
