Changing Landscapes: How living in Lancaster taught me to appreciate farmland

By: Kate Clement

I’ve been a neighbor to Lancaster County my entire life, and for the last four years, I’ve had the pleasure of finally being a resident. Growing up in Chester County, I’ve witnessed the battle between development and preservation. Once an agricultural hub, my hometown is now known as a bustling suburb of Philadelphia. You can see remnants of our farming heritage in the names of public parks and farmhouses converted into family homes. Driving on back roads through neighboring towns, you can see signs calling on elected officials to save the remaining farms in the county. However, it wasn’t until I started my college education in Lancaster that I understood what we lose when we lose farmland.

As a child, I often visited some of Chester County’s remaining farms to pick pumpkins and enjoy fresh ice cream. From my suburban understanding, each farm grew the same crops, had the same animals, and operated in the same way. During my sophomore year of college, we traveled to a small, organic farm with my geology class. This trip opened my eyes to modern agriculture’s diverse and innovative nature. As we picked and ate vegetables from the fields, we learned how farmers rotate the crops they grow each season. The creek adjacent to the farm was clear, and we learned about instruments that monitor water quality. We learned that conservation practices improve a farm’s longevity and productivity while protecting the environment.

Following my field trip, I noticed the farm on the list of local vendors at my favorite Lancaster restaurant. The same vegetables I tried on the farm could have been served in my garden salad. In Lancaster, food is so much more than something that fills our stomachs. Local farm-grown and farm-raised products connect us with the farmers who spend their days working to feed a growing population in increasingly harsh climates, economically and environmentally. Yes, this food nourishes our bodies, but it also nurtures our hearts and souls. Through local food, we develop and share our cultures. Lancaster-sourced food is the thread that ties us all together. When farmers struggle, we all struggle. When the land hurts, we all feel it.

When I leave Lancaster and drive eastward on Route 30 toward my hometown, I watch green, rolling farmland turn into parking lots and office buildings. As I turn off the highway, I pass two former farms turned into a housing development and a private sports complex. I’ve seen my town change dramatically throughout my lifetime. I’ve seen the county’s swelling population and the pressure placed on elected officials to develop green space. Each year, we lose more farmland and open space to commercial and residential zoning. I’ve watched the careful balance between preservation and development tip further towards a point of no return. With the intensification of storms, a county-wide increase in impervious surfaces, like concrete and asphalt, and an aging stormwater management system, dangerous floods threaten the county’s lives, land, and property. Each farm that disappears snips away at the thread holding our community together.

Living in Lancaster County invigorates me with new hope for the region’s prosperity. Investing in Lancaster’s agriculture is one of the most impactful ways to ensure a healthy and plentiful future. The well-being of our environment, our economy, and our culture depends on our farms. Lancaster County’s rich history and loyalty to the land have made Lancaster a site of agricultural innovation. We are the first county in the nation to preserve 100,000 acres of farmland, and two-thirds of our farmers use no-till practices. I am empowered knowing I can support local farmers who want to protect the land, conserve our natural resources, and innovate their farming practices to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Pennsylvania and beyond!

If you would like to give towards farmland preservation and conservation, click here to donate to Lancaster Farmland Trust. Let’s save what makes Lancaster County so special.

References:
[1] https://6abc.com/post/chester-county-residents-displaced-due-flooding-debby-governor-shapiro-declares-disaster-emergency/15166402/
[2] https://www.dailylocal.com/2023/11/05/tropical-storm-idas-impact-continues/
[3] https://www.lancasteragcouncil.com/economic-impact