Cranberry Committee To Oversee Future Of Powell Farm Property

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — The long-term fate of the Powell Farm property on Goehring Road will be in the hands of an advisory committee that township supervisors appointed this week.

The township acquired the 150-year-old Denton Powell farm in March 2023 following Powell's death in 2021. The executor of Powell's will donated the farm to Cranberry.

Members of the advisory committee include:

• Andy Hack, the estate executor.

• Ken Moniot of the Butler County Agricultural Preservation Board.

• Sean McCarty, Seneca Valley School District Assistant Superintendent of K-6.

• Dana Hadley, a Seneca Valley teacher.

• Andy Zadmik of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

• Craig Conforti of the Penn State Extension.

• Tim Casey of the Cranberry Township Environmental Advisory Committee.

• Jim Halstead of the Butler County Farm Bureau.

• Bret Lestor and Brian Miller, Cranberry representatives.

The township’s previously announced vision for the Powell Farm includes:

• Education: Via the Powell Farm, students of all ages will be able to get hands-on experience at a working farmstead, see where food comes from, gain an understanding of the area’s history, and learn about potential careers.

• Farm to Table: While from the outside it would not seem that food scarcity is a problem in Cranberry Township, 17 percent of families in the community live below the poverty line. By working with charitable organizations, the community can come together to put food on the tables of anyone who may need assistance.

• Community Farming: At the Powell Farm, members of the community will have the opportunity to participate in the production of local produce and potentially grow their own crops.

• Environmental Conservation and Preservation: While the Powell Farm presents endless possibilities, the main goal is and will remain preservation. It is another opportunity to build upon the groundwork set by the township over the past 30 years focused on maintaining and expanding efforts to create an environmentally conscience community.