Published August 30. 2023 02:45PM
A 22-acre crop farm in Lehigh Township will be preserved, Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, announced last week.
The farm is owned by Jason and Kelly Hankee.
By preserving the farm via the State Agriculture Land Preservation Board, the land is prevented from future development. Farmers sell their land’s developmental rights, and the board protects the land from ever turning into commercial, industrial or residential properties, maintaining it as an active farm.
“Agriculture is a critical part of our infrastructure,” said Miller. “By ensuring these farms remain in production, we are protecting some of our strongest assets.”
The State Agriculture Land Preservation Board announced last week that 36 farms in 19 counties were protected, including nearly 2,800 acres of farmland in the commonwealth.
Since its inception, 6,267 farms and close to 630,000 acres of farmland have been protected from commercial, industrial or residential development.
“By protecting farms, we can continue to produce necessary products right here in the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania,” added Miller. “Farms are a vital part of our communities.”
