The past 18 months have been all about construction – LFT preserved farms are implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on a scale we’ve never seen before! 5 projects were completed in 2025, with another 17 finished in the first six months of 2026 and 22 more currently in progress. The manure storage units, heavy-use areas, improved animal walkways, stream crossings, and buffers installed in the ground will help remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen from our local waterways. Remember, we all live upstream of the Chesapeake Bay and share a watershed. That means that pollution in our local waters also flows into the Bay. LFT recognizes the efforts of our preserved farmers to implement these critical projects that are making an impact on the health of our neighbors downstream. Currently, across the watershed, BMPs are in place to achieve 59% of the needed nitrogen reductions. We know that Lancaster County’s preserved farmers and LFT supporters are a big part of that success!

Stewardship is the work of protecting farmland forever. Every one of the 618 farms preserved by LFT depends on us continuing the work to ensure it stays protected. That’s why our staff and volunteers return year after year, walking fence lines, standing beside streams, and stepping into fields to see the land up close. These annual “check-ups” confirm that soil hasn’t been paved over, waterways are clean, and the ecosystems farmers depend on are thriving. This work is more than preventing development – it’s about honoring the trust of farm families, safeguarding food and water for our community, and keeping a living landscape intact for the future. When you support LFT, you walk those fields with us. Together, we ensure that when a farm is preserved, it will be a farm forever.