Northampton County is celebrating the preservation of another farm, adding to thousands of acres that are already saved from development.
Northampton County celebrated the preservation of its 250th farm on Monday, the 14-acre Good Work Farm property located in Upper and Lower Nazareth townships.
According to a news release, the preservation also means the county has preserved over 19,000 acres of land for agricultural purposes since the county’s farmland preservation board was established 34 years ago. County officials visited the farm to mark the milestone.
“This small but crucial working farm is a testament to show even smaller farms add value to the agricultural output and stability of Northampton County's working farms,” the county said in its release.
“Small-scale farming plays a vital role in shaping our future and addressing the global challenge of feeding a growing population sustainably.”
The Good Work Farm is owned and operated by Anton Shannon and Lisa Miskelly, and is described as a small, diversified, mixed-traction farm using both tractors and draft horses to produce vegetables for the small-scale wholesale market.
According to the county’s farmland preservation website, the board purchases agricultural conservation easements, or “development rights,” to the land, protecting it in perpetuity from development.
Northampton County preserved its first four farms in 1993, totaling 805 acres. It reached 10,000 preserved acres in 2008, and the county’s 200th farm was preserved in 2019.
The release said the county currently has 26 farms in the preservation process, which would add around 500 acres once completed. Northampton County is on track to preserve 20,000 acres by 2025.
Pennsylvania leads the country in preserved farmland, having protected over 626,000 acres since 1988, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
The county said protecting farmland allows for production agriculture to remain viable and noted that agriculture is Pennsylvania’s number-one industry.
(Original air-date: 6/27/23)
