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Two Adams County farms among 22 preserved in latest state round

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Two Adams County farms totaling 163 acres are among 22 farms that Pennsylvania will permanently protect from development, the state Department of Agriculture announced Oct. 8. The State Agricultural Land Preservation Board approved $5,849,937 to buy development rights on 1,228 acres in 14 counties.

In Adams County, the board approved easements on the 69-acre crop farm of Ralph M. and Darlene M. Beachtel in Germany Township and the 94-acre crop farm of Donald R., Diane M. and Curtis D. MacBeth in Menallen Township. State funds cover the full Adams County cost of $514,205, according to the department.

The Menallen Township farm is the MacBeth family’s fourth preserved property, bringing the land they have protected to more than 178 acres, the department said.

Under the program, owners sell the development rights to their land, which keeps it in farming permanently and prevents its sale for development. The owners keep the land and can continue to farm, sell or pass it on. The state pays for the easements in partnership with counties, municipalities and nonprofit land trusts.

“Every farm preserved is a promise to the next generation,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. He added that the administration is “proud to partner with farm families and local communities.”

Other farms in this round include 138 acres in Chanceford Township, York County, preserved mostly with county money; a 98-acre crop and livestock farm in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County; and a 52-acre dairy farm in Colerain Township, Lancaster County. Bucks and Lehigh counties received the largest totals, at about $1 million each.

This year’s rounds have so far preserved 134 farms and 10,118 acres at a cost of more than $41 million, including a $9.1 million August round covering 34 farms and 2,565 acres. In 2025 the state preserved 167 farms and 14,147 acres for more than $50.1 million.

Since voters approved the program in 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,781 farms covering 671,082 acres in 58 counties, with more than $1.83 billion in state, county and local money. The department says Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farms.

The announcement also pointed to agriculture measures in the 2026-27 state budget. They include $10 million for Fruit Grower Freeze Impact Grants after this spring’s freeze, a concern for Adams County’s orchards, and $10 million for agricultural innovation grants. Pennsylvania has more than 48,800 farms, and agriculture contributes more than $132 billion a year to the state economy, according to the department.

Sources

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture: PA invests $5.8 million to ensure 22 farms in 14 counties stay farms forever · FOX43

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