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Dauphin County preserves crop farm in Halifax Township
Cris Collingwood//November 19, 2021
A 153-acre crop farm in Halifax Township was protected from future development by the Dauphin County Commissioners through the county’s Farmland Preservation Program this week.
Under the program, farm owner Michael Sweigard sold a conservation easement for $36,000, 76% of the full value.
The Sweigard family had an application in for the program since 1999. It is the second farm owned by Sweigard to be preserved.
“We are very happy to be involved in this program,” Sweigard said at a Nov. 17 commissioners’ meeting.
Dauphin County has preserved 18,825 acres on 195 farms under the Farmland Preservation Program. The first easement purchase was an Upper Paxton Township farm in 1991.
“This program allows us to maintain and preserve a tremendous asset,” Commissioner Chair Mike Pries said. “Once you lose land to development, it is gone forever.”
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