Two local farms are safe from development today after the state preservation board protected another 384 acres in York County this week.

The two farms are the Carl and Ida Close farm, a 167-acre crop and livestock operation in Codorus Township, and the James Quesenberry and Constance Anderson farm, a 217-acre crop farm in Hopewell Township.

The Close farm has an easement purchase price of about $327,000, and the Quesenberry and Anderson farm has an easement purchase price of about $566,000.

Those recent additions give York County 38,374 preserved acres across 246 farms. That farmland is worth more than $66 million, with an average cost of $1,723 per acre, according to Samantha Krepps, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The state also preserved 20 other farms in Pennsylvania, tallying more than 1,800 safe acres in Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Fayette, Lackawanna, Lancaster,

Lebanon, Montgomery and Northampton counties.

"Agriculture is a $5.7 billion industry and Pennsylvania's No. 1 industry -- the cornerstone of our economy. I thank the families preserving their farms for their foresight in keeping Pennsylvania growing," George Greig, agriculture secretary, said in a statement.

State, county and local governments have invested more than $1.1 billion since 1988 to protect more than 461,000 acres on nearly 4,300 farms in Pennsylvania, according to the state preservation board.

-- Reach Candy Wood all at 505-5437 or cwoo dall@yorkdispatch.com.