We spoke with Laura Brenner, Communications Coordinator of Lancaster Farmland Trust, about the farmland that reflects our heritage, supports our economy, nurtures our health, and enhances our quality of life. Lancaster Farmland Trust is the Lemon Street Market #GiveLocal partner for November and December. When customers opt to round up at the register, all proceeds will be donated to the Lancaster Farmland Trust in order to preserve and steward the beautiful, productive farmland of Lancaster County.
What is the mission of Lancaster Farmland Trust?
Our mission is two fold, we work to preserve and steward the beautiful, productive farmland of Lancaster County. For centuries, families have farmed this land – creating a thriving economy, protecting our environment, nourishing our health, and enhancing our quality of life. Our work protects the land these families have passed down for generations and help them enhance the quality of the land through improved conservation practices.
What does it mean when a farm is “preserved”?
Farmland is preserved through a legal and binding document called a ‘conservation easement.’ This type of easement permanently limits uses of the land – in this case it’s limited to agricultural uses. Lancaster Farmland Trust maintains these easements forever, across property owners.
Preserving land means it’s available for agricultural use, forever. Our staff or volunteers check in each year with our preserved landowners as part of our ongoing stewardship of the land. We meet with them on their farms to discuss any changes made to the farm since the previous year and answer any questions they may have about preservation or other conservation practices they are interested in pursuing on their land.
Why do farms in Lancaster County need to be preserved?
To us, it seems as though there are endless reasons to preserve farmland in Lancaster County. Our soils are the most productive, non-irrigated soils in the United States. The strong, diverse network of local farms provides our residents with an abundance of fresh, local foods. Sales from Lancaster County agricultural products generate $1.5 billion annually for our economy. And, quite simply, farmland creates a beautiful landscape for local residents and tourists to enjoy.
Lancaster County is an anomaly of place. Urban, suburban, and commercial developments neighbor livestock pastures and farm fields, often cultivated by horse-drawn equipment. On the surface, it seems as though these landscapes are contradicting. However, our community has thrived on the diversity of culture, experience, and industry that make up Lancaster County. Part of protecting this uniqueness about Lancaster County is protecting the balance of landscapes and ensuring our farm families have access to land, forever.
Why should city-living residents care about what happens to the farmland in our county?
Without a diverse group of local farmers, shops like Lemon Street Market couldn’t exist in Lancaster County. As a fellow city-dweller, I can say that we are spoiled with an abundance of super fresh and local fruits, veggies, herbs, etc. It’s not something every county has to offer it’s residents – think about how long Lancaster Central Market has been around compared to neighboring counties farmers markets, or how many road-side stands you pass as you drive around the county in the summer. Lancaster County is as defined by our picturesque farmland as we are by our bustling downtown.
What projects or events are coming up for Lancaster Farmland Trust?
As our Communications Coordinator, I definitely want to brag about our new logo. We recently refreshed our logo and are in the process of updating our website to reflect the scope of our preservation and conservation/water quality work. As part of our goal to connect with a more diverse audience, we’ve launched a new digital newsletter and are working on a few farm tours for 2019.
If you want to stay in the loop, sign up for our digital newsletter, ‘agri-cultured’: https://www.facebook.com/lancasterfarmland/app/141428856257/
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Coming up next: Our January & February #GiveLocal partner organization is The Junior League of Lancaster.
The post #GiveLocal: 5 Questions with Lancaster Farmland Trust appeared first on Lemon Street Market.