West Montgomery Times

Rep. Donna Scheuren announced the preservation of three additional farms in Montgomery County’s 147th District under the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Program.

The preserved farms include Grater, Kirk #1, a 40-acre crop farm located in Schwenksville, with a total investment of $518,836, comprising $14,156 from the state and $504,680 from the county. In Perkiomenville, the Farm of Kent, Gwinn G. #1, a 19-acre equine farm known as Tranquility Farm, received $202,729.65 for its preservation, with $8,129.65 allocated from state funds and $194,600 from the county. Additionally, the Farm of Wagner, Paul & Jacquelyn P., an 84-acre crop farm also located in Perkiomenville, was preserved with a contribution of $568,149.15, including $562,580.70 from the state and $5,568.45 from the county.

These funds contribute to a larger statewide investment aimed at purchasing development rights for 3,187 acres across 29 farms in 17 counties, thus safeguarding these lands from future residential or commercial development. As Rep. Donna Scheuren stated, “Farmland preservation continues to be a top issue for me,” adding that “with three additional farms now preserved, that makes six farms that have been saved in my time as your representative. Those six farms total 256 acres in land that is now forever preserved in the 147th District. Protecting open space across the entire district remains one of my biggest priorities.”