More than 500 acres of Burlington County farmland could be protected from development
With tens of thousands of acres already protected, Burlington County is taking steps to preserve even more active farmland.
Even more farmland in Burlington County could be preserved for years to come after the Burlington County Board of Commissioners took the first steps to protect more than 500 acres from future development late last month.
The board voted on June 24 to grant preliminary approval for seven Burlington County farms totaling 529 acres to enter the county’s Farmland Preservation Program.
Farms can voluntarily join the program where the state and county pay farmers for the development rights to their land and enact a permanent deed restriction, ensuring the land is forever protected for agricultural uses even if the farm is sold. The farmers would retain ownership of the land.
The seven farms will now be appraised before the county can make offers to purchase the development rights.
Burlington County leads the state in farmland preservation with more than 67,000 acres of farmland protected, Commissioner Randy Brolo said, which accounts for nearly 72% of all active farmland within the county.
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“Farming and agriculture have always been a major part of life in Burlington County, and our board has made it our mission to do everything possible to keep the industry strong and viable for the present and the future,” Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson said in a statement. “The Burlington County Farmland Preservation Program is essential to that goal, and we’re pleased to take this step to protect more acres of farmland.”
The farms that could be preserved are:
Bruch Farm in Chesterfield, 59 acres
Kirby Farm in Pemberton, 50 acres
Lounsberry Farm in Springfield, 169 acres
Russo Farm in Tabernacle, 37 acres
Seward Farm in Southampton, 22 acres
Specca Farm in Springfield, 82 acres
Varano Farm in Tabernacle, 110 acres
State funding could cover up to 80% of the preservation costs while the remainder is paid for out of the county’s Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
The county is also poised to preserve another seven farms totaling 1,070 acres.
“Every acre of farmland Burlington County preserves guards against overdevelopment that can impact our environment and quality of life, so we continue to target more farms and open space for protection,” Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel said in a statement. “It’s good policy for Burlington County farmers and a win for residents who value living in a county with a green landscape and freshly grown food.”