Montgomery County has added four more farms to its growing list of farms permanently preserved under the Montgomery County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, which is administered by the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

The program kicked off 2019 by preserving the Duhovis Farm in Upper Providence Township—a 43-acre vegetable, beef, and grain farm. The Duhovis family has a farm stand onsite where they sell farm-grown vegetables, flowers, baked goods, and jams. In autumn 2018, the county preserved the Gary Miller farm in Upper Hanover Township, a 66-acre hay and grain farm; an additional piece of land belonging to Willow Creek Farms, LP, a 34-acre grain farm in Worcester Township; and the Lukof Living Trust Farm, a 47-acre grain farm in Upper Hanover Township.

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These farms were preserved in part with the dedicated $1 million of funding from the Montgomery County Commissioners, which increases the funding to the county provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Municipal funding also helps greatly in the county’s preservation work, and these farms were preserved with financial assistance from Upper Hanover, Worcester, and Upper Providence Townships. The county anticipates going to settlement on an additional eight farms in 2019.

“We are pleased to announce the permanent preservation of these four farms in the county,” said Dr. Val Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “Farming is an important part of our heritage, and the county values and supports our local farming businesses, which provide healthy, local foods and conserve our prime agricultural soil.”

The preservation of these farms helps to implement the land use vision in Montgomery County’s comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision. The county’s farmland preservation program, which began in 1990, has preserved 166 farms totaling over 9,703 acres in the county. Farming has not only played a significant role in Montgomery County’s history, it is also integral to the county’s sustainable future. The preservation of farmland and farming is important for the economy, environment, and local food availability in the county. For more information on this program, visit www.montcopa.org/FarmlandProgram.

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