You may have seen the “Preserved Farm” sign and thought Patterson Farm was preserved AS A FARM, right? Well, maybe or maybe not. The Property Ad Hoc Committee of Lower Makefield (Bucks County, PA) recently invited several contracting firms to tour historic Patterson Farm and create bids for a Master Plan for future use of the farm structures. Tomorrow those bids will be reviewed with the intention to forward a recommended proposal to the township supervisors for contract award in January.
Although the Patterson land is farmed, the farmers are currently locked out of the barns and outbuildings, even though those structures are still useful for agriculture and should be included in the farmland lease. Our preservation group, Patterson Farm Preservation, is very concerned about any plan to “repurpose” structures our local farmers need to support their work. Patterson Farm is an active vegetable and grain farm. Its farmers have a well-received Community Supported Agriculture share program, and they give back to the community by donating crops to a local food bank. To help support agriculture in our community, Patterson Farm Preservation has offered to assist the township with maintaining the farm structures. We have submitted a proposal to preserve and restore the buildings to continue to serve agriculture, and without great expense to taxpayers. Our group has already repaired one building at no cost to taxpayers. But there is more to do and we seek the governing body’s collaboration to proceed. We respect the natural benefits of Patterson Farm and seek to preserve our rich agrarian heritage, irreplaceable agricultural resources and undisturbed natural habitat for present and future generations.
Join the effort to perpetually preserve and responsibly steward Patterson Farm. Please attend the Dec 19 Ad Hoc meeting at 7:30pm via zoom (or via township YouTube channel or township website www.lmt.org) and support preservation. Follow Patterson Farm Preservation on Instagram for updates @pattersonfarmpa.
Local farms matter. We all have an interest in their preservation. Thank you for your support.