Three more Lebanon County farms preserved for ‘forever and a day’

Jay L. and Miriam M. Weaver were determined to keep their land in agriculture forever. 

That includes the farm Jay grew up on and an adjacent one he purchased as an adult a few years ago. 

“One of the things is, by putting it in ag preservation, if we do sell it down the road, it keeps somebody from coming in here and buying it and then developing it,” said Jay. “It’s a preventive measure, basically.”

Miriam agreed, adding that while farming is a hard industry, it is also fulfilling. Both were so determined to ensure their land stays in agriculture that they entered the farmland preservation program even though their three children weren’t interested in having a production agriculture career.

“The decision wasn’t hard at all,” Miriam said. “We had kind of always talked about doing that. So that younger farmers have the opportunity and don’t have to move out of the area. That way, our family can help them.”

The Weaver farm is one of three Lebanon County operations that are the newest entries into the state’s farmland preservation program. Their 166-acre crop and dairy farm is equally distributed between Bethel and Jackson townships.

In addition to the Weaver property, the other two farms, both in Bethel Township, are Clovis A. and Joanna C. Crane’s 64-acre equine farm and Klaus and Amanda J. Pedersen’s 37-acre crop farm.

Craig Zemitis, a land preservation specialist with Lebanon County Conservation District, said the addition of these three operations means Lebanon County has preserved 188 easements totaling nearly 21,000 acres over the past 33 years.

A Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture press release states that total financial investments for this round of funding – which is for calendar year 2024 – for Lebanon County was $680,417. The state contributed $435,235 while Lebanon County committed $245,182 to the program. 

Jay’s foray into agriculture began when he purchased his first Holstein cow at the age of 18 and the family created Weaverline Holsteins. Today, there are about 100 registered Holstein on the farm.

“That was our farm name for, since I started milking cows in ’80, 81 when I bought my first cow,” said Jay. “I had a partnership with my father for several years and then took it all completely over in the ’90s.”

Preserving land without someone to help farm it in the future can be viewed as futile, so the Weavers decided to reach out to a young couple interested in an agricultural career.

“I think the biggest thing was Jay always wanted to walk along somebody and help them get started. Even if it wasn’t a child,” says Miriam. “Oh, he would have loved it if it would have been a son, even a son-in-law. He would have loved to walk beside him and teach him what he learned. I think that was a lot of it.”

A few years ago the Weavers moved out of Jay’s childhood home and into the adjacent farm located in Jackson Township. A young couple with their own children moved into the Bethel Township farmhouse and became tenant farmers for the Weavers.

“I felt like it was his family farm. He has the opportunity to make that choice,” added Miriam.

“He takes care of the cows,” said Jay about the partnership. “I make the feed for them, and he runs the dairy, does the cows. It is working out okay.”

Jay said he grows soybeans and field corn on the two farms, including the original family farm now in its third generation.

“My grandfather bought the farm in the 1940s,” Jay said. “So I wanted to see it preserved as a farm, the one I grew up on here.”

Randall Good, who is the tenant farmer living with his family in the original farmhouse, said he appreciates the relationship he has with the Weavers. He and his wife milk the cows twice a day, feed and provide care to the livestock. 

“It means a lot to me and it is a privilege to farm in Lebanon County. That’s not a privilege that everyone has,” Good said. “I am thankful to Jay and Miriam for giving us this opportunity.” 

Good added it feels good to know that the land has been placed into the farmland preservation program. He noted while farm labor is hard work, it’s a job that he enjoys doing.

“It’s an opportunity, hopefully, for myself,” said Good about this farm being placed into the program. “It’s a good feeling to see that the land was taken out of development and will be kept in agriculture. I think it is a good idea, and I am glad to see when people do it.”

As Zemitis notes, entering the farmland preservation program means you are conserving the land for “forever and a day.”

“It’s not a decision to be made lightly,” he said. “A farm can go on the waiting list and come off of it at any time.” 

Zemitis said he’s processing four applications for 2025 farmland preservation program funding, which he added will be awarded in 2026.

“There are currently 13 farms on the waiting list for funding,” he added. “You may want to do a call to action because our waiting list is smaller than it’s been in a while.”

Zemitis added there’s no cost or commitment to sign up.

“If they’re just interested when they rank, they’re free to apply and just to see and they can leave the application (process) or the waiting list whenever they want,” he noted.

A PDA press release states Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. 

Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,564 farms and 654,551 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing nearly $1.76 billion in state, county, and local funds.