Sixty-eight acres preserved in Reading Township

With help from member donations and USDA/NRCS through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) purchased a conservation easement from Janice Newcomer on her 68 acres in Reading Township northeast of East Berlin. In 1997 she purchased the property, the first in her family to own the land. Janice accepted an offer from the Land Conservancy for less than the appraised easement value, agreeing to donate a significant portion in a bargain sale.

 The land has mixed characteristics. Approximately 50 acres are farmed, providing food for Adams County and beyond.  There also are about 14 acres of woodland and fencerows providing habitat for a wide range of bird species, including various woodpeckers and owls. Flowing through her land is a tributary of Red Run, part of the Susquehanna watershed.

 But the overall environment is even more of a haven for wildlife. “There’s a small wetland area in the front of my property, running along Anthony Road,” she said. “There’s a larger wetland amid the fields towards the back of my property, a quarter-acre area that was formerly farmed. I worked with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to return this muddy mess back to its original wetland state -- now a haven for wildlife including ducks, geese, bats, dragonflies, raccoons, wild turkeys, foxes, deer -- and even coyotes!” 

Janice also worked with CREP to plant trees in areas of the farm with poorer soil, which has the added benefit of preventing erosion. As is the case with wildlife, the many trees on the property are diverse, including swamp white oak, black oak, pin oak, tulip poplar, redbud, red cedar and various species of hickory and maple. “I have about 1.5 acres of yard with several organic gardens where I grow native species that attract birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.” And she has a relatively unique interest in animal husbandry: about an acre of the property is pasture for her two llamas. Both Smokey and Sammy are rescues, and have even been designated as LCAC’s “unofficial mascots” by the organization’s adoring staff.

Janice’s determination to preserve rural lands represents a deeply-personal commitment. “Growing up on a small farm in Southern York County made me appreciate farms, nature, and open space. Unfortunately, I see the massive development that has taken over that area in the past 40 years, and development is creeping closer and closer to the farm I grew up on.

 “My fear is that one day, it too will be swallowed up by development. I placed a conservation easement on my Adams County property to prevent that from happening to these 68 acres. I’ll continue to work to enhance wildlife habitat on my farm, improve the quality of the soil, and enjoy the quality of life that comes with living on a farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania.

 “I’m so grateful to LCAC for placing my property under a conservation easement, which allows me to preserve my property’s farmland, wetlands, woodland, and open space forever.  I’m honored that the Land Conservancy recognized the value of keeping my land free from development.  Because, as my dad used to say, ‘They don’t make more land.’”