Diamond Announces Lebanon County Farm Preservations

HARRISBURG – Rep. Russ Diamond announced today that two farms in the 102nd District totaling 274 acres will be now protected as farmland in perpetuity placing out of the clutches of overzealous developers.
 
“Our local family farms, particularly dairy farms, have been suffering for several years now due to low prices and conglomeration of ownership of production facilities diving down profits even further,” Diamond said. “I understand and appreciate the need for homes to be built, bit we should not do so wantonly at the expense of our heritage and the character of the communities we love. When we can save precious working farmland that puts food in our local stores, I call that a win for Lebanon County and Pennsylvania.”

Pennsylvania's Farmland Preservation Program, which leads the nation, approved 166 conservation easements covering 14,397 acres that will ensure that these permanently remain productive farms:

•   The Pauline E. Grumbine Farm, a 174-acre crop farm, received $372,214.95 from the state program and $67,223.50 from the county program. 

•   The Bruce R. and Laura M. Heilinger #2 Farm, a 100-acre crop and livestock farm, received $182,604.72 from the state program and $72,612.33 from the county program. 
 
Across Pennsylvania today, the Farmland Preservation Program protected 2,569 acres on 30 farms in 18 counties from future development, investing more than $7.2 million in state, county and township dollars. 

Since 1988, the program has purchased permanent conservation easements on 5,979 Pennsylvania farms, covering 606,215 acres in 58 counties, and ensuring they will remain farms in the future. By selling their land's development value, landowners preserve their farms, protecting the land from future residential, commercial or industrial development.