Four Berks County farms were among the 24 from which the state recently announced that it has purchased the development rights.

The investment of $5.7 million for the 2,079 acres in 14 counties by the state and local governments protects the farms forever from residential or commercial development, ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have the high-quality land they need to continue feeding families and supporting the economy, officials said.

By selling development rights, farm owners ensure their farms will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers, officials said.

In Berks, officials said, an investments of $708,458 by the state and $34,048 by the county preserved the following farms:

• Robert and Cynthia Batdorf, 52-acre crop farm, Penn and Centre townships.

• Marty and Sherry K. Buck, 49-acre crop farm, Maidencreek Township.

• Timothy M. and Cathy S. Hartranft and Cynthia L. Luckenbill, 108-acre crop farm, Richmond and Maxatawny townships.

• Richard M. and Janet M. Schlegel, 32-acre crop farm, Oley Township.

Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has invested more than $140 million to preserve 472 new farms and 39,273 prime acres of farmland.

“When farms are sold to become warehouses or housing developments, they are gone forever, along with the food, fuel and fiber they produced,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “High-quality farmland is one of Pennsylvania’s most valuable economic assets. The Shapiro Administration continues to stand up for Pennsylvania’s farmers, not just with words but with actions, investing to protect our priceless land, water, and soil resources, and fund the innovations that will keep Pennsylvania farmers competitive and sustain their farms tomorrow.”

Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farms. Since 1988, when voters statewide overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,621 farms and 658,681 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.78 billion in state, county and local funds.