planning: Farmland Preservation Main Page

Montgomery County, PA

P.O. Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Courthouse Hours: 8:30a.m. to 4:15p.m.
Phone: 610-278-3000
Website: www.montcopa.org

Farm

Montgomery County Farmland Preservation Program

The Montgomery County Farmland Preservation Program purchases agricultural easements from productive farms in Montgomery County. When the easement is sold, the owner keeps the land but no longer has the right to build nonagricultural buildings.  The land must remain in farming in perpetuity.  The farmer may sell the land, but the new owner must continue to grow productive crops or pasture on it.  Applying to the program is voluntary.

Program Status

As of December 2011, 140 farms have been approved for permanent preservation, for a total of 8,379 acres of county farmland that will never be developed.  Thirty-three additional farms currently are applicants.  Statewide, 453,419 acres on 4,189 farms have been preserved under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.  Interested farmers are encouraged to submit an application.  Application material can be found below as well as in the Montgomery County Planning Commission office in Norristown.    

Funding

Funding for the program comes from both the county and the state and, sometimes, the municipality.  The Montgomery County Commissioners may allocate money each year to preserve farms in Montgomery County.  The remainder of the funding comes from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through cigarette taxes, the Environmental Stewardship Fund, and other sources.  A township or borough may contribute money to preserve a farm within its own boundaries.

  
· Montgomery County Agricultural Land Preservation Board
·   Application, Evaluation, and Selection Information 
·   Farmland Preservation Program Manual (November 2011)
·   Agricultural Conservation Easement Sale Application
·   Farmland Preservation Newsletter
·  Montgomery County Agencies for Farmers
·   2011 Montgomery County Farmers' Markets
·  2012 Calendar of Agriculture-Related Events