3 Farms Permanently Preserved In Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County has vastly expanded it's nearly 10,000 acres of preserved farmland, announcing Tuesday the protection of three more farms totaling nearly 200 acres.

The farms include a 117 acre property in New Hanover owned by Edward B. Stokes, a 23-acre farm in Perkiomen and Schwenksville townships owned by Suzanne Banyacsky, and Thomas Latshaw's 61 acre farm in Upper Hanover.

“Farming is an integral part of our heritage, and the county values and supports our local farming businesses, which provide healthy, local foods and conserve our prime agricultural soil," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said Tuesday.

The three new farms are among 175 around the county that are now under agricultural easements. The land can still be bought and sold, but it must remain a working farm forever.

Montgomery County's Agricultural Land Preservation Program was launched in 1990. The county program is part of a larger state program that includes participation by 59 counties throughout the Commonwealth. For more information on the program, see here.

To help educated farmers and residents on the program, a free webinar will be held on Dec. 16. Registration is available here.