Lancaster County features some of the richest non-irrigated farmland in North America. However, rising land prices and expanding commercial real estate developments have placed tremendous pressure on traditional Amish family farms.
The Agricultural Land Preservation Board
To keep farmland accessible for future generations, Amish landowners partner closely with local land trusts and conservation boards. Through conservation easements, farmers permanently restrict land development rights, ensuring the soil remains dedicated strictly to agricultural use.
Transition to Micro-Enterprises and Out-Migration
Because farmland prices in Lancaster exceed $15,000 to $20,000 per acre, many young Amish adults transition into non-farm woodworking and construction micro-enterprises, or migrate to cheaper farmland in central Pennsylvania, New York, and Indiana.