Pa. pays property owners for land lost to eminent domain, but farmers want more for their loss

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Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/statecollege/2024/03/pennsylvania-farmers-agriculture-eminent-domain-penndot-route-322-centre-county/

BELLEFONTE — A massive highway project in Centre County that will likely result in some farmers losing their properties has prompted calls to update how agricultural land is valued in Pennsylvania’s eminent domain process.

The government uses the legal procedure to take private land for public uses like road and bridge construction, parks, and other developments with community benefits. Advocates within the state’s agriculture sector argue that farmers are short-changed by the process, which requires compensation based on market value, payment for possible damages, and relocation support. They say that state law — which caps relocation support for farms and small businesses at $25,000 — doesn’t accurately reflect the financial burden of moving to a new place. Plus, farmers say that the final offer for a property doesn’t account for fertile soil or product reliability.

Over the past decade, cropland prices have increased, costing more than $8,620 per acre in Pennsylvania, a number that may be higher or lower depending on the county. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the number of farms in Pennsylvania has also declined, drawing concern from industry officials and policymakers about protecting a sector that generates billions of dollars for the state’s annual economy....

Responding to concerns and frustration over eminent domain, state Sen. Cris Dush (R., Jefferson) has proposed updating the law to include payments for “lost goodwill” — which he defines as a farm’s location, community history, and reputation for producing crops — when determining a farm’s value.

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This is a complex issue for farm families, because you can't just pick up your farm and move it to a new location. In the city a family can sell their house and move to another house away from the highway. But farms take an entire generation to develop and improve the soil and water for best conditions. Even when the farmer is correctly and fairly compensated for his land, it still may mean the end of his farming career.