A 92-acre farm in Butler County is among 35 farms across the state that will be permanently protected from development through Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, the Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday.

The crop and livestock farm, owned by Lawrence H. and Carrie L. Lang in Marion Township, was preserved with a total investment of $292,149, the vast majority of that coming from the state. The preservation ensures the land will remain dedicated to agriculture indefinitely.

The effort is part of a nearly $10 million state investment to purchase development rights and preserve 2,672 acres of farmland in 18 counties. Since the program’s inception in 1988, Pennsylvania has protected more than 654,000 acres on 6,564 farms.