HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Agricultural Lands Preservation Board has preserved an additional 1,788 acres on 19 farms in 12 counties for future generations through the state's nationally recognized farmland preservation program.

One of the farms is in Monroe County:  The Raymond Gumm Jr. farm #1, a 70-acre crop and pasture operation

During the program's 23-year history, 455,208 acres on 4,208 farms have been safeguarded for future agricultural production.

"To ensure the future success of the agriculture industry in Pennsylvania, the first step is to preserve our farmland," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "Agriculture isn't just our number-one industry - the cornerstone of our economy - it's a way of life for our farm families.