(10/29/2019) This year’s Road Rally, which was held on October 19, will deliver $25,000 to preserve land all across Adams County. A dozen hosts, including skilled chefs at historic stops, enchanted the teams as they drove 64 miles on some of Adams County’s most scenic roads.

The Rally started at the Ag Center with stops at Stone of Scone Farm, Hollabaugh Bros. Fruit Farm & Market, Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium, and the Orrtanna Trout Farm, with a Finish Line Party at the Refectory at United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg.

For 21 consecutive years, the Land Conservancy has organized a Road Rally to fund preservation of open farmland and scenic county. This year, 158 participants drove these roads, 70 volunteers worked hard to deliver a memorable experience, and 56 sponsors funded the activity and results. The Land Conservancy of Adams County has preserved more than 11,500 acres with the help and support of residents all throughout the county since the Land Conservancy was founded nearly 25 years ago.

Events such as the Road Rally help support all the efforts that go into helping to preserve farmland and forests throughout the county; property just like that which is owned by Jeff and Deborah Seibert. The Seiberts live in a historic stone farmhouse on 144 acres in Hamilton Township. Their land includes cropland, pasture, and a historic barn as well as a pond, forest, and grasslands. They didn’t want their land to be developed and realized a conservation easement would maintain the beauty and wildness of their property for themselves and future generations.

Land preservation was a logical next step in the Sieberts’ efforts to promote a healthy ecosystem on their land and nearby. Jeff explained, "Preserving our land is consistent with the work we’ve been doing to enhance wildlife."

"Protecting the Seiberts’ farm was a great opportunity for us to preserve a lot of open farmland that also includes wildlife habitat found in a number of vegetated fencerows and a patch of woodland," said Sarah Kipp, the Land Conservancy of Adams County’s land conservation coordinator. "In addition, the property’s substantial road frontage provides a way for county residents to appreciate the scenic beauty of the farm’s rolling pastures and historic farmstead."

"Working with the Land Conservancy staff was a pleasure," says Mr. Seibert. Though the whole process took some time, the Seiberts are thrilled with the result, a permanently preserved corridor of farmland and wildlife habitat. The Seiberts are now considering preservation of an additional property to continue protecting the landscape and wild creatures of Adams County.

The Land Conservancy of Adams County is a fully accredited nonprofit land trust committed to preserving the rural lands and character of Adams County, Pennsylvania.