Nearly a year after the Township accepted ownership of the Powell Farm, a new committee is tasked with creating a plan for preserving and developing the 71-acre space as a public amenity.
During the January 2 Board of Supervisors meeting, 10 members of the Powell Farm Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee were appointed.
Members include Andy Hack, Resident & Executor of Denton Powell’s Estate; Ken Moniot, Butler County Agricultural Preservation Board; Dr. Sean McCarty, Seneca Valley School District Assistant Superintendent of K-6; Dana Hadley, SVSD teacher; Andy Zadmik, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Craig Conforti, Penn State Extension; Tim Casey, Cranberry Township Environmental Advisory Committee; Jim Halstead, Butler County Farm Bureau; and Bret Lestor and Brian Miller, Cranberry Township representatives.
As part of the Township’s acquisition of the property, it must remain as a working agricultural space in perpetuity as a living active monument that highlights the significance of farming and rural lifestyles through education, programming, and other offerings.
The committee is tasked with advancing a plan and recommendations for the utilization of the property that honors the preservation status, explores educational opportunities that highlight farming and agriculture, provides opportunities to share farming and agricultural activities with the public, and promotes fiscal and operational sustainability.