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Blog


Lancaster is growing. There's no doubt about it. We are growing corn and cows. We are growing strawberries and soybeans. And we are growing our communities. As we are growing all of these things, we are trying to do it smarter and more sustainably. Find out more about our community of stewards and landowners below.

Guardians of the Harvest: The History of the Scarecrow

September 13, 2023

Autumn decorations are arguably some of the most beautiful of the year; the warm tones and bright leaves spruce up homes and storefronts. One of the most traditional autumn decorations is the scarecrow – a funny, straw-stuffed man often adorning porches and craft stores. However, this little man wasn’t always just a decoration. As many […]

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Staff Explains: Baseline Edition

September 8, 2023

Farmland preservation takes a lot more than you might think. It involves paperwork, farm visits, drones, reviews, and much more. The process of protecting farmland is the heart of our work at LFT. One of the essential parts of farmland preservation is what we call a baseline visit. What is a baseline visit, and why […]

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Hardships on the Homestead: Plain-Sect Farming in the Great Depression

August 31, 2023

Pennsylvania is known for many things: the city of brotherly love, the great battle of Gettysburg, and beautiful, looming mountains. However, Pennsylvania is arguably most known for its agricultural heritage, particularly among Amish and Mennonite groups. Tales of their extraordinary ways of life span generations.   The Great Depression became a time of resilience and […]

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Water-Wise Agriculture: PA Farms and Water Conservation

August 23, 2023

Did you know that Lancaster farmland actually saves water?   Here in Lancaster County, we have the most productive non-irrigated soil in the United States. Because of their irrigation systems, farms in other states consume large amounts of water. However, farming practices in Lancaster rely solely on rainwater to keep their farms running. So, how […]

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Tips from LFT Staff: A Beginner’s Guide to Gardening

August 16, 2023

It’s no secret that growing plants in your space can positively impact your mental and physical health. Plants give people something easy to look after, they freshen up the air, and they can spruce up a space! If you’re anything like me, you might need help getting started. Thankfully, many of our staff members here […]

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A Big Win For Lancaster County’s Iconic Landscape & Waterways

August 24, 2022

Today, Lancaster County Commissioners [the Commissioners] voted to approve $2.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] funding to two key partners who are focused on permanently protecting Lancaster County’s landscape, Lancaster Farmland Trust [LFT] and Lancaster Conservancy [the Conservancy]. The projects funded by this one-time investment of ARPA dollars will accelerate the Conservancy’s work […]

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Annual Report 2020

October 13, 2021

Click Here to View the Annual Report! Well… 2020 was quite a year, wasn’t it? And yet, despite it being troubling times, we continued to see a rise in farmers interested in preservation. You also witnessed that need and stepped up to support it. Together, we preserved 15 farms and 893 acres in 2020. We […]

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Lancaster Farmland Trust to debut its $7.5 million campaign

June 23, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2021 The “Honoring the Promise” campaign will save 50 family farms   LANCASTER, Pa. – With 50 farms on its waiting list, Lancaster Farmland Trust (LFT) knew it had to do something to pick up the pace of preservation before those farms were lost forever. That’s why the nonprofit launched its […]

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LFT Publishes New Report on Farmland Preservation

June 17, 2021

Lancaster Farmland Trust is pleased to present a comprehensive report on farmland preservation. The report is a compilation of information to show trends and raise awareness and is not intended to be a research paper. Lancaster Farmland Trust hopes this report will re-ignite a conversation about farmland preservation – what we’ve accomplished so far and, […]

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LFT Awarded New Slate of Conservation Grants

January 26, 2021

Lancaster Farmland Trust is excited to announce that we’ve received funding for three new water conservation projects on Lancaster County farms. The first is a $640,947.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through the Growing Greener Watershed Protection Program. This grant allows LFT to expand the work we have already done (through […]

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A Message from Lancaster Farmland Trust

June 17, 2020

Issued June 15, 2020   While our beautiful, productive farmland provides its bounty without prejudice, the incidents of the past few weeks have reminded us that inequities in our country and our community have often resulted in the unequal sharing of the bounty. Lancaster Farmland Trust’s mission is to protect farmland to provide food and […]

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A Day in the Life – Gordon Hoover

April 1, 2020

  Visits are scheduled when possible, but most times, you just show up unannounced due to lack of phone numbers, explains Gordon Hoover. He’s referring to his typical workday as the Agricultural Outreach Coordinator at Lancaster Farmland Trust (LFT). As such, Gordon spends most of his days going door to door, or barn door rather, […]

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A Message from COO Jeff Swinehart

March 27, 2020

Click here to also watch a video message from LFT COO, Jeff Swinehart.   Dear friends, We are living in unprecedented times. Each day greets us with more challenges than the day before and more questions than answers. However, if we look for them, I believe we can also find new opportunities – to connect […]

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buy LOCAL – a list of farmer’s markets and roadside stands open now

March 26, 2020

Lancaster County is home to many Farmer’s Markets and even more roadside stands full of fresh-from-the-field items. Please be sure to review each vendor’s safety requirements before stopping by. Lancaster Central Market 23 North Market Street, Lancaster, PA The decision to sell at “Market” during this time is on a stand-by-stand basis. Check their Facebook […]

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Preserve + Conserve – Farmers Opting for Both

February 17, 2020

Levi was already thinking about the rundown house, the leaky barn roof, and the soggy cow pasture when his father sold the farm to him. A capable craftsman, Levi had plans to renovate the house – making room for his wife and their three children – and fixing the leaky barn roof. The soggy pasture, […]

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Preserved Tastes Better: a taste of Lancaster County

December 6, 2019

Lancaster County’s preserved farms offer beautiful views, clean air and water, and an exceptional quality of life. They also offer fresh foods for our community and our region. Our team rounded up a few of our favorite roadside stands, markets, and shops from our preserved farms. Check out the list below and be sure to […]

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Preserving the Balmer Farm

September 16, 2019

Kevin is a second-generation dairy farmer. He has concerns about farms like his passing through to the next generation of a family.

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Protecting Local Foods

July 13, 2019

Three and a half miles north of the center of Lititz, along Pennsylvania Route 501, drivers cross the bridge over Hammer Creek and find themselves driving through the middle of Mervin Weaver’s 70-acre farm.

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From Field to Classroom

June 14, 2019

Winter is a time when farmers have a bit of a break from the hustle of fieldwork and can make time for some education.

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New website, same LFT

April 9, 2019

We’re excited to have joined the 21st century with a shiny new website designed, just for us (and you)!

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