News and Notes
PFPA members braved the elements and staffed a booth
at Ag Progress Days - August 14-16, 2018
# # #
State Farmland Program Reaches 550,000 Acre
Pennsylvania is a national leader in farmland preservation, and in June of 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding announced that the state had hit a major milestone, preserving 550,000 acres of farmland in the commonwealth over the last three decades. “By investing our energy and resources in protecting Pennsylvania’s farmland , we are not simply investing in commodities; we’re investing in people and the future of agriculture and our ability to grow food,” said Sec. Redding.
# # #
Local Hero Award Given to
Ralph McGregor - York County
Pictured (L to R): Chris Reilly, York County Commissioner, Pattty McCandless, Director, York County Ag Land Preservation Program, Ralph McGregor, Local Hero Award Recipient
May 2018 - The Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Association presented Ralph McGregor, long time supporter of York County Farmland Preservation efforts, with the Local Hero Award. This award is given annually to individuals who have provided outstanding leadership in the preservation of farmland across Pennsylvania.
Ralph is a long time member of PA Farm Bureau and York County Farm Bureau. While rearing his children, with wife Ada, on their Washington Township and raising dairy cows on their dairy farm, Ralph also found time to stay involved in legislative affairs to help create policy and laws that protected farming interests in PA. He was instrumental during the mid 1970’s in the development of such ag policy while serving on the PA Farm Association ‘s State Comprehensive Land Use Task Force Committee to develop policy that protect our agricultural industry. This policy led to our current Agricultural Security Area Law (Act 43 of 1981). Act 43 as you know was later amended through Act 149 to allow for the development of ASA’s and the Farmland Preservation Program we administer today. York County Commissioner’s appointed Ralph to the York County Land Use Task Force Committee in 1988 to examine the farmland loss in our region and develop recommendations to combat the unacceptable loss of farmland due to increasing development. That work resulted in the 1989 Land Use Task Force Report which led to the creation of the York County Ag Conservation Easement Program and the YCALPB. The report also led to the formation of the York County Farmland Trust, today known as the Farm and Natural Lands Trust, York’s private land trust.
Additional service to his community included serving, at the County Commissioner’s request, on the YCALPB from 1989 through 2013. He also served on the Washington Twsp Planning Commission and was instrumental in bringing about ag zoning ordinances early to his Township. He also served on the York County Planning Commission assisting with county comprehensive planning policy relating to the Agriculture Protection Plan Report. Today Ralph continues to serve his community and was recently elected to the Washington Twsp Board of Supervisors. Ralph’s concern for the farmer and the agricultural industry compels him to serve as long as he is able. Thank you Ralph for a life time devoted to promoting Pa’s agricultural interests and protecting our agricultural resources.
# # #