Burlington County Commissioners Give Preliminary Approval for Preservation of 529 More Acres of Farmland

If agreements are ultimately finalized with all seven farms, 529 additional acres of farmland would be preserved across Chesterfield, Pemberton Township, Springfield, Tabernacle, and Southampton. 
“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,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “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.”
“Burlington County residents overwhelmingly support keeping agriculture a strong industry, and it’s encouraging to see interest in the Burlington County Farmland Preservation continue to grow among local farmers,” added Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation, Parks, and Farmland Preservation. “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. 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.”
The farms that received preliminary approval are: 
•    Bruch Farm in Chesterfield, 59 acres
•    Kirby Farm in Pemberton Township, 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
All seven farms qualify for state finding that will cover as much as 80% of the preservation costs. Funds from the County’s Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will cover the remainder of the expense with no municipal cost share anticipated. Earlier this year, the Commissioners approved a rule change waiving the municipal cost share for most farmland preservation deals. Under the previous rules, most towns were required to contribute between 5% to 20% of the cost to preserve a farm. 
In addition to those farms, the County is also close to completing preservation deals on another seven farms that had tentatively accepted County preservation offers. Those farms total 1,070 acres.
“Burlington County is where farmland preservation was born, and we continue to lead the state and rank in the top 10 in the nation with more than 67,000 in total acres preserved,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo. “We recognize the importance of agriculture to Burlington County’s economy and our residents’ quality of life, so we are excited to continue to take steps to add more acres to the County’s preservation program.”