Pennsylvania Farmer Preserves Farmland by Selling Development Rights, Rejecting Data Center Offer
An 86-year-old Pennsylvania farmer, Mervin Raudabaugh, has opted to preserve his 261 acres of farmland in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, by selling the development rights for nearly $1.9 million. This decision came after he reportedly rejected offers of approximately $15.7 million from data-center developers, which equated to about $60,000 per acre. The preservation was facilitated through a local program funded by Silver Spring Township voters, which dedicated a portion of the earned-income tax to protecting farmland, forests, and open space. The Lancaster Farmland Trust administers the program and holds the agricultural conservation easement, ensuring the land remains agricultural in perpetuity. Raudabaugh will continue to own and farm the land, with the easement restricting future commercial, industrial, or residential development. 
