(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania is investing more than $9.1 million to purchase development rights for 2,565 acres on 34 farms in 16 counties.

This investment will protect prime farmland from future residential or commercial development and it will help ensure that farm families have the fertile land that they need to produce fiber, food and fuel to feed the economy in the future.

According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Beaver County received these investments for these farms:

Beaver County – Total investment – $891,531; state – $587,073; county – $304,458

Donald J. Kretschmann, Trustee of the Donald J. Kretschmann Revocable Trust, 72-acre crop farm, New Sewickley Township

Carl E. and Sarah L. Sockaci, 121-acre crop and livestock farm, Franklin Township