Initiative preserves land for 177 local farms

Montgomery County announced that they have reached a milestone of permanently preserving over 10,000 acres of farmland, an initiative in the making for 30 years. Currently, there are 177 farms (for 10,196 acres) preserved in the Montgomery County Agricultural Land Preservation Program.

The county has devoted over $38 million dollars to farmland preservation since 1990, helping to provide local food.

The milestone was announced during the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting. The commissioners also voted to devote $90,575 to support the farmland preservation program in 2021. 

“The growth of the farm-to-table movement has decreased both food miles traveled and carbon footprints to make it a win-win for everyone,” said Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr., Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners.  “Local farms are also critical partners in our anti-hunger efforts to support people in need by providing healthy, local food to our residents.”

Here’s a map of the presernved farms

Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher