Case Studies
Purchase of Development Rights
Situation: A farmer in East Lampeter Township participated in a purchase of development rights program in the summer of 2006 with Lancaster Farmland Trust. This farmer saw Lancaster Farmland Trust’s ad in Lancaster Farming News. He then contacted Jeff Swinehart, Deputy Director of LFT. The farmer explained that other farms around his own had recently been preserved and he was interested in preserving his farm as well.
Preservation Approach: At the meeting of the Board of Trustees, the LFT approved a payment of $900.00 per acre. The farmer received $67,500 for his 75 acre farm.
Outcome: The preservation of this farm was beneficial to Lancaster County, the farm owner, and Lancaster Farmland Trust. The conservation easement allows the farm owner to build two additional dwellings on the property. One dwelling can be subdivided onto a small lot (typically 1 acre) and the second dwelling is intended to be utilized with an agriculture subdivision (10 acres or more). The farmer also is permitted to operate a small on-farm support business. Otherwise, the farm will remain in the same agricultural state as it was when it was preserved.
Transfer of Development Rights
Situation: Farm owners in Warwick Township contacted Lancaster Farmland Trust after reading an article regarding preservation in the local farming newspaper. Trust staff met with the land owners to discuss preservation options. In addition to the landowners, LFT contacted Warwick Township’s manager to discuss whether the Township would be interested in participating in a joint project.
Preservation Approach: The landowners made a decision to preserve their farm by placing a Declaration of Restriction of Development on their property and the Trust Board of Trustees approved it. The value of the easement was declared to be $278,103. LFT and the Township each paid $100,000 for the 48 TDRs on this property. Each party received 24 TDRs to be sold at a later date.
Outcome: The Development rights on this 97 acre farm were purchased by Lancaster Farmland Trust and Warwick Township. Each entitity will hold their TDRs and when approached by a developer, will sell these TDRs to increase growth in the defined “Receiving Area”. The proceeds from selling these TDRs will preserve additional farmland in Warwick Township.
Donation of Development Rights
Situation: Amos Funk, known as the Father of Preservation in Lancaster County, along with his wife Esta, donated a 25 year conservation easement to the Lancaster County Agricultural Board. When Lancaster Farmland Trust was formed in 1988 Amos and Esta decided to make the easement perpetual and donated it to LFT.
Preservation Approach: The Trust obtained the 25 year easement from the Lancaster County Commissioners. With this easement now in Trust hands, the 88 acre farm in Martic Township was preserved in perpetuity.
Outcome: To accommodate future needs of the family, the easement allowed for three additional dwellings and also required a conservation plan to be implemented and updated every twenty years. Since the signing of the easement, best management practices such as crop rotation, strip cropping, and contour farming have been implemented on the farm, making it even more valuable.
