York County has reached a milestone achievement of preserving 50,000 acres of farmland for future generations, making it one of the most successful farmland preservation programs in the nation. York County leaders were joined by state and local officials and members of the farming community to celebrate the achievement at a recent event held at the Barley family farm in Brogue.

The Barley family has preserved over 2,000 acres of its farmland in York County, more than any other property owner. Also recognized at the event was the Flinchbaugh family, whose participation in the county's farmland preservation program marked the 50,000th acre to be preserved.

To date, a total of 50,050 acres of farmland have been preserved through the York County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, with 354 total farms now in the program. The success of the program can be attributed to collaboration between the county, state, and federal governments. State funding played a key role, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture secretary Russell Redding joined the county's celebration.

The York County Agricultural Land Preservation Board (YCALPB) was created in 1990 as a collaborative effort between the county, farmers, developers, and environmental preservationists. Today, York County ranks in the top 10 of all counties in the U.S. for farmland preservation.