4 more Lehigh Valley farms saved from development. Find out where

Four Lehigh Valley farms, totaling 167 acres, will be preserved under a state investment program that protects them from future residential or commercial development.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced Monday that more than 2,654 acres on 30 farms in 14 counties were part of a $9.9 million investment in state, county and local funds.

“Pennsylvania is a great place to do business,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a statement. “Our location near ports, interstates, railways, and 40% of the U.S. population means farmers face fierce competition from developers seeking to buy their land. Saving fertile farmland for producing food, rather than losing it to warehouses and suburban sprawl is a critical investment the Shapiro Administration is making along with farm families and county and local governments to feed our families, and our economy, and our future together.”

The two Lehigh County farms preserved in this round had a total investment of $403,444, including $206,406 from the state, $189,330 from the county and $7,708 from the township. They are:

• Alan P. and Donna M. Behnke’s 20-acre crop farm in Lower Milford Township.
• Matthew J. Urffer and Jessica J. Bales’ 43-acre crop farm in Lower Milford Township.

Northampton County invested $238,510 in its two farms, while the state added $196,489 for a total investment of $434,999. They are:

• 358 Menahan Street’s 56-acre crop farm in Lower Mount Bethel Township.
• Charles B., Natalie J., and Zachary B. Rush’s 48-acre crop farm in Moore Township.

The state partners with county and sometimes local governments and nonprofits to buy development rights. By selling development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers.

According to its website, Lehigh County has preserved 403 farms covering more than 28,000 acres. The county has allocated $1 million per year for the purchase of development rights and is looking to keep that amount through 2026.

Northampton County has a similar program. According to its website, it has preserved 251 farms covering more than 19,000 acres since 1989.

Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,422 farms and 641,908 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.7 billion in state, county and local funds.

Outside of the Lehigh Valley, farmland was also preserved in Adams, Armstrong, Berks, Cumberland, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lycoming, Monroe, Montgomery, Susquehanna, Washington and York counties.