<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2OOWKs_0wCztpc000" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2OOWKs_0wCztpc000" width="375" height="500" ><figcaption>Kyle Sollenberger, owner of Passerine and other local restaurants, speaks at the Lancaster Farmland Trust annual banquet on Oct. 16, 2024, in New Danville, Pa. Philip Gruber</figcaption></figure>NEW DANVILLE, Pa. — Lancaster Farmland Trust raised the money to preserve its 600th farm at its annual banquet on Oct. 17, but the night was not just about 83 acres in Leacock Township.Protecting land from development gives families the ability to extend multigenerational farming traditions, and it provides locals with agritourism experiences, bucolic views and good food, said Jeff Swinehart, the president of Lancaster Farmland Trust.“If we save our farmland, we save more than our farmland,” Swinehart said.On the other hand, of course, those benefits are lost when farmland is developed.The trust aims to convey those messages about loss and preservation in its current campaign with advertisements and billboards.The ads are designed to show residents who aren’t closely connected to agriculture how they benefit from farmland preservation.It comes as the trust looks to accelerate preservation and expand its environmental stewardship efforts on the farms where it holds easements.“Preserving our farmland isn’t getting any cheaper. We can’t take the next 36 years to preserve the next 36,000 acres,” Swinehart said.Kyle Sollenberger, the owner of Passerine café and other restaurants, told attendees that local farms have helped the county build its reputation as a dining hot spot.“Protecting this land isn’t just about today. It’s about ensuring Lancaster continues to thrive as both a community and a destination,” Sollenberger said.As Swinehart made his closing remarks, donations hit the night’s goal of $125,000, and confetti fell on the screen. The total for the night was over $142,000.The moment wasn’t just about the money, of course. It was about the economic and quality-of-life benefits those dollars will help preserve.<h2>Newsletter </h2></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Farm Preservation About More Than Land

NEW DANVILLE, Pa. — Lancaster Farmland Trust raised the money to preserve its 600th farm at its annual banquet on Oct. 17, but the night was not just about 83 acres in Leacock Township. Protecting land from development gives families the ability to extend multigenerational farming traditions, and it...