ACEP-ALE success story: Boyer Nurseries and Orchards

Across our nation, we are seeing success in implementing Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Agricultural Land Easements funding to conserve our farmland and ranchland for future generations. The following case study shows how ALE programming has helped the conservation of Boyer Nurseries and Orchards in Pennsylvania.

Boyer Nurseries and Orchards is a fifth-generation family farm in the fruit belt of Adams County, Pennsylvania. Originally purchased in 1900, the farm now includes a nursery, garden center, wine and cider tasting room and fruit market, and grows more than 20 varieties of apples and a variety of fruits.

As a part of the fruit belt, the farm is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, making it an important agricultural landscape in the county. With the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Land Conservancy of Adams County, the Boyer Nurseries and Orchards will be kept in agriculture forever.

The easement has created peace of mind for the Lowes family. Their 900-acre easement has inspired other landowners in the area to protect thousands of acres of land in the fruit belt through easements.