On December 16, staff from Lancaster Farmland Trust met at the Stoltzfus family farm to sign paperwork and add their two farms-- 59 acres and 11 acres-- to the growing list of preserved farms in Lancaster County.
On December 20, Trust staff met at the Fisher family farm to sign paperwork and add their 72-acre farm to the growing list of preserved farms in Lancaster County.
Stoltzfus Farms
In quiet, picturesque southern Lancaster County, you’ll find these two farms along an unassuming country road.
The larger farm is home to a small dairy herd, some chickens, and a couple of watchful farm dogs. Just to its south, the 11-acre farm is home to the eldest Stoltzfus son, where he grows produce for Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative.
In addition to the cows and vegetables, the Stoltzfus family grows a mix of corn, alfalfa, and tobacco on their farm.
They also employ conservation practices, such as conservation tillage or no-till, secure manure storage units, a grassed waterway, cover cropping, and contour farming.
The Stoltzfus farms are directly adjacent to another preserved farm, and within a two-mile radius of the Stoltzfus family farms, there are 27 other preserved farms totaling more than 2,590 acres of preserved land nearby.
Adding these family farms creates a large, contiguous block of preserved land – helping protect the future of agriculture in Lancaster County.
The family looks forward to the security that farmland preservation will afford the future of their land.
Fisher Farm
Bisected by a small tributary to Pequea Creek, the Fisher farm, located in Salisbury Township, is a traditional dairy with some supporting row crops.
To manage their soil and waterway health, the Fisher’s employ conservation practices, such as conservation tillage or no-till, cover cropping, contour planting, secure manure storage, and a grassed waterway.
In addition, through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation which encourages the coupling of farmland preservation and conservation practices, the Fishers are receiving special funding to offset the cost of additional conservation practices they want to implement—including streambank fencing, a stream crossing, and a riparian buffer along their stream.
The Fisher farm is within a two-mile radius of four other preserved farms, totaling more than 264 acres of preserved land nearby.
Adding these family farms creates a large, contiguous block of preserved land—helping protect the future of agriculture in Lancaster County.
For more information on how you can preserve your land in Lancaster County and how to get involved with the Trust, visit the Lancaster Farmland Trust website.
(Reprinted from the PA Land Trust Association People & Projects News webpage.)
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[Posted: December 21, 2019] www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com]
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