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Franklin County Commissioners Leverage Funds To Invest Over $1.4 Million In Farmland Conservation

Planning

March 26, 2026

The Hershberger Farm in Peters Township includes the 20,000th acre of farmland to be preserved in Franklin County since the county joined Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program in 1990.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – The Franklin County Commissioners continue to emphasize the importance of protecting farmland from future development and recently approved $368,667 for agricultural conservation efforts. That investment leverages state funds to provide the county’s Agricultural Land Preservation program with an additional $1,409,836 to safeguard valuable farmland from future development.

Franklin County is one of 58 counties that participate in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program. Through the program, the state, county and local governments can purchase conservation easements from farmers to slow the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. Landowners apply to the county to participate in the Easement Purchase Program. Applications are ranked and then forwarded on to the State Agricultural Land Preservation Board for approval.

Participating counties receive state funds to help make these purchases, and most counties contribute matching dollars to amplify their buying power. Since 1990, Franklin County and the commonwealth have combined to invest more than $45 million to preserve 170 area farms and over 20,600 acres of farmland. Another 1,500 acres are in the process of being preserved.

“Agriculture has always been at the heart of Franklin County, and it still plays a huge role in our local economy,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst. “Over 53% of the county’s land is used for farming or agriculture-related work, and we regularly rank among Pennsylvania’s top producers of milk, apples, peaches and cattle. That’s something we’re really proud of, and it’s up to us as local leaders to make sure this way of life is protected and passed on to the next generation.”

Pennsylvania leads the U.S. in the number of farms and acres permanently preserved for agricultural production. Since 1988, Pennsylvania has invested more than $1.84 billion in farmland preservation; to date, 6,673 farms and 662,940 acres of Pennsylvania farmland have been protected. Franklin County ranks 10th out of 67 counties in total acres preserved.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, visit www.agriculture.pa.gov or contact the Franklin County Planning Department at 717-261-3855 or planning@franklincountypa.gov.