A Lehigh Valley farm will be preserved under a state investment program that protects them from future residential or commercial development.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced last week that more than 2,079 acres on 24 farms in 14 counties were part of a $5.7 million investment in state, county and local funds.
Patricia L. Stewart’s 67-acre crop farm in North Whitehall Township was preserved with an investment of $569,346. Broken down, $414,602 came from the state, $5,000 came from Lehigh County and $149,744 came from the township.
The state partners with county and sometimes local governments and nonprofits to buy development rights. By selling development rights, property owners ensure that their properties will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers.
According to its website, Lehigh County has 413 preserved farms covering more than 28,000 acres. Northampton County has a similar program that has preserved 270 farms covering more than 20,000 acres since 1989.
Since 1988, 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.
Originally Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT