Lancaster Farmland Trust

Our farms, soil, water, and roots are protected for all.

We are a non-profit protecting farmland and water quality with your support. Join us in our fight to preserve what's special about Lancaster County.

PRESERVING LAND

Lancaster Farmland Trust was founded in 1988 by a group of local citizens concerned about the rapid growth of Lancaster County. Since then, LFT has developed into a national leader in farmland preservation - with more than 34,000 acres of farmland protected forever.

Lancaster Farmland Trust is a private, non-profit with a mission to vigorously accelerate the permanent protection and stewardship of farmland.

LFT works in partnership with farmers, and the community, to preserve the land that supports our economy and nourishes our bodies.

• When a family decides to preserve their farm with LFT, it is a commitment to future generations as well as to the land.
• 99% of farms in Lancaster County are family-owned.
• The average Lancaster County farm is 78 acres.

PROTECTING RESOURCES

Preserving farmland isn’t just about protecting the soil, but also about the 1,400 miles of streams and creeks that run through hundreds of Lancaster County farms.

Lancaster Farmland Trust collaborates with a variety of local and regional water quality organizations as a conduit of information and resources for both farmers and water quality experts.

Conservation practices that help keep soil in fields and out of nearby waterways can be expensive. Lancaster Farmland Trust is able to provide technical and financial resources to farmers.

Sharing information about conservation and offering resources to help farmers make these conservation practices possible means more farmers can take steps to improve their farms.

• Agriculture plays a critical role in keeping our local waterways clean and healthy.
• “I feel like, if my grandchildren want to live in a nice farm area and be farmers, it will be there.” - Preserved farm owner in Donegal Twp.
• “It’s a great place to live. We forget sometimes what makes Lancaster so desirable.” - Preserved farm owner in West Lampeter Twp.

KEEPING LANCASTER COUNTY SPECIAL

Hundreds of years ago, settlers with surnames like Stoltzfus, Miller, and Herr came to Lancaster County with little more than the seeds in their pockets. These early pioneers transformed the beautiful countryside into a thriving agricultural economy and made way for the quality of life you see today.

When you support Lancaster Farmland Trust, you are not only helping farmers preserve the land where families have grown our food for generations, but also protecting the very character of the community and a very special way of life for our children and grandchildren.

Agriculture in Lancaster County is more than just a business; it is part of a living history and cultural heritage.