Centre County Farmland Trust

06/10/2026

“Out of the long list of nature’s gifts to man, none is perhaps so utterly essential to human life as soil.”

YES

This quote is from Dr. Hugh Hammond Bennett, “father of Soil Conservation” and the first Chief of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.

We could not agree more! Soil is an amazing habitat and essential to our lives.

The Soil Association offers a fantastic explanation for why soil matters on its website (soil association dot org)

For one: Almost all our food depends on soil

And: A spoonful of soil contains billions of living organisms.

Amazing!

offers a "Soil Health Toolkit" with a load of information on soil health practices. Look for the Farmland Information Center on the AFT website.

Part of the Centre County Farmland Trust stewardship program to preserve & protect land is to share learning opportunities.

We all have much to learn about soil — and how to prevent losing the soils we depend upon.

This image of the fields at Windswept Farm & RE Farm Cafe was taken at the 2019 Farm Tour by Jennifer Shuey. Used with permission.

06/03/2026

Zoning is not … well … sexy.

But when it comes to protecting farmland from inefficient development & sprawl, zoning matters A LOT.

Centre County is growing. How we grow will determine the future of our farmland.

The more efficient we can be about using land, the better.

Sprawl occurs more frequently in rural localities without land use controls & zoning ordinances, according to the 2020 Agricultural Comprehensive Plan.

The CCFT website includes lots of info on what to watch for in your community to limit sprawl & protect farmland. See the link below!

How We Grow Matters Centre County’s population reached 157,795 people as of July 1, 2023, according to the U.S. Census. Watch how your community is growing. Are your township’s local zoning and land use policies helping to protect farmland? If not, you can engage local officials and advocate for...

05/28/2026

Happy little "accident"?!

Our LOVE FARMLAND magnets have arrived! Available to any member of the Centre County Farmland Trust upon request. (Email: administration at centrecountyfarmlandtrust.org)

We worked with Elizabeth Stephenson at Custom Stuff . We sent a simple square design and the vendor sent this for a proof.

We love this curvy, more natural shape! How about you?! Ready to get your magnet and display your support for preserving farmland in Central Pennsylvania?!

An individual membership costs $50 for the year. Visit the "Help Protect Farmland" section of our website!

05/20/2026

Welcome to our new followers and new members!

One of many important introductions:

The late Huge and Barbara Hodge were teachers who loved the land. In 2004, they permanently preserved their 147-acre Hodge Farm with a conservation easement held by the Centre County Farmland Trust.

Their land was the first of 18 properties preserved by CCFT. The farm is known for its historic, double-bank barn, designed and built in 1832 by George Gentzel (1789-1854.)

Read the Hodges' story by visiting our website, and find "CCFT Preserved Land" below the "How We Preserve Land" drop-down menu. (Link to the Hodges' story in the first comment, because FB doesn't favor links in posts!)

05/13/2026

THANK YOU to all who supported land preservation by donating to the Centre County Farmland Trust during Centre Gives!

YOU helped this non-profit crush its goal: $13,305 raised from 123 donors raised over the 36-hour, online giving event. WOW Centre County. Thank you for your support for land preservation.

Those funds will help preserve and protect farmland, fields and woodland in Central Pennsylvania.

Many, many people contributed to a successful Centre Gives this year. Artists, for example, like Valerie Moyer, a member of the Farmland Preservation Artists of Central PA who captured this spring view of Centre County's iconic Round Barn. Many FPA artists generously share their work for CCFT's use.

And CCFT's Board of Trustees, all volunteers, especially those who helped with videos and posts for social media: President Dan Guss, Franklin Egan, Linda Friend, Jennie Renninger, and Nancy VanLandingham.

As we often say: Together, we can preserve and protect the lands we love.

Thank you!

05/07/2026

This is your reminder that there is still time to stretch your dollars to preserve and protect the land by giving to the Centre County Farmland Trust by 8 pm Thursday during Centre Gives. Link in comments! Every dollar matters :)

This is Nancy VanLandingham, vice president of the Centre County Farmland Trust's Board of Trustees,

Thank you to Nancy — and all of our Trustees — for all of their hard work. Every member of this working board "rolls up their sleeves" to help run the organization and do the heavy lifting of preserving and protecting land, to help serve the mission and help the organization to run lean.

Here is why Nancy supports preserving farmland:
"Two of the best things about Centre County are the vibrancy of a college town and the authenticity and beauty of the surrounding rural landscape," says Nancy VanLandingham, VP of the CCFT Board of Trustees. Nancy believes in doing what we can to preserve and enhance both.

Nancy is a realtor at RE/MAX Centre Realty.

She and her husband raised their family in an 1840s farmhouse on 10 acres in Halfmoon Township. Nancy served on her local planning commission and is very interested in development pressures facing rural communities.

How about you?! We'd love to hear your thoughts on supporting farmland preservation!

Thank YOU to all who donated to Centre County Farmland Trust during Centre Gives!

05/07/2026

THANK YOU to all who have already given!!!

We SEE you & we can’t wait to personally thank you for supporting our work to preserve & protect the land.

Update: With about 8 hours to go, we are closing in on our goal.

If you’ve not yet given, NOW would be a great time! (Link in comments.)

YOU can help us reach that goal — & secure the future of the lands that provide so much for us all.

Every dollar matters & every dollar returns more than $1 to preserve & protect the land.

Thank you, Centre County. Thank you Centre Foundation.

05/06/2026

Hey! Do you have a few minutes to support farmland preservation & make your donation to Centre Gives by 8 pm Thursday?!

Every dollar matters! Most of us who love the land can donate $10. Donate $50 and you'll become a member of the Centre County Farmland Trust.

Meet Jennie Renninger, our newest Trustee & owner of

Here's what Jennie says about why she stepped up to help preserve our valuable, vanishing farmland:

"As the daughter of a farmer, I’m writing to ask you to donate during Centre Gives, by 8 pm Thursday.

My husband Dave and I moved to Centre County in 2020 from the Philadelphia suburbs. One of the main attractions of Centre County that drew us here is its rural character. The rolling hills of farms and woodlands are not only beautiful and peaceful, but allow the food that we eat to be produced locally and provide the wildlife that we love with a place to live.

While my family farm is still in operation at a smaller scale in Royersford in Montgomery County, it’s an anomaly in a town where all of the other family farms have been sold and developed into housing. The character of the town has changed so much since my childhood that I almost don’t recognize it as the place that I grew up.

I don't want to see that happen here in Centre County.

Please help the CCFT in its mission of helping farmers and other landowners to protect their land for future generations to enjoy as we all do today."

GIVE what you can during Centre Gives to protect and preserve the land!

If you give $50 or more, you'll qualifiy as a member of the Centre County Farmland Trust.

Join us!

Look for our org on the Centre Gives website OR click the DONATE button on our home page (link in comments) and it will take you there!

Thank you Centre County for supporting land preservation and Centre Gives!

05/06/2026

NOW is the BEST time to donate to preserve & protect land that benefits us all!

Every dollar matters & every dollar donated during Centre Gives by 8 pm Thurs returns more than $1 to our nonprofit org to preserve land.

Go to centregives.org & look for Centre County Farmland Trust.

Go to https://centregives.org/organizations/18-centre-county-farmland-trust

Or click DONATE from the Centre County Farmland Trust homepage: centrecountyfarmlandtrust.org

YOU can help preserve the next farmland or woodland!

04/30/2026

Hey Centre County!

If you love the farmland

& woodlands

& open fields that give us a wonderful quality of life here…

Then you can help preserve and protect these lands we love!

Because that takes money. About $10,000 to $20,000 to secure a conservation easement on a property.

And May 6-7 is a GREAT opportunity to raise it during Centre Gives.

Take a few simple actions NOW to get ready for Centre Gives!

- PLAN to give next week, between 8 am Weds May 6 & 8 pm Thurs May 7 during the 36-hour, online community giving event.

To donate: Visit centregives.org & find Centre County Farmland Trust under organizations. Or, visit our site, centrecountyfarmlandtrust.org & click the Donate button at the top, which will link to our page on the Centre Gives site.

Every dollar donated invests more than $1 to help preserve and protect land — thanks to the Centre Gives stretch pool and prize money. If you can, please give $50 or more and become a member of CCFT!

- LIKE, follow, share & comment on our posts to help CCFT reach people who also want to help protect land.

STAY TUNED for updates & reminders, as we hope to raise enough funds next week to preserve one property.

Wouldn’t it feel great to read about the next preserved farm and know your contribution helped make it happen?!

(Goosebumps … right?!)

Because every bit helps and together we CAN preserve and protect the lands we love.