As Pennsylvania looks to expand its technology infrastructure, data centers are becoming part of the conversation about economic development, electricity demand and land use. These facilities can bring investment, jobs and new opportunities to communities. But as Butler County and other rural areas consider their future, one question deserves careful attention: Can data centers and farming coexist without sacrificing the very farmland that makes these communities special?

The answer should be yes, but only if development is planned responsibly and agricultural land is treated as a valuable resource, not simply as available space.

Data centers require substantial electricity, cooling systems and reliable connections to the power grid. They also require land, in combination that can create pressure to build on large, open parcels, including land that has traditionally been used for farming. Transmission lines needed to serve these facilities can create additional concerns, particularly when proposed routes cross productive agricultural ground.

Pennsylvania’s farmland is more than an open field. It is the foundation of a food system, a source of income for farm families and an important part of the state’s rural economy. Once productive farmland is converted to buildings, parking lots, roads and other infrastructure, it is extremely difficult to return that land to agriculture.

That is why farmland preservation must remain a central part of the discussion.

Preserved farmland should not be viewed as a temporary holding place for future development. When a farm is enrolled in a farmland preservation program, the public is making a commitment to protect its agricultural use for the long term. Those protections should mean something.

Data centers and transmission lines should not be permitted to go through preserved farmland.

That position is not an argument against technology or economic growth. It is an argument for putting development in the right places.

Data centers can be located on previously developed land, industrial sites, brownfields or other areas that do not require the permanent loss of productive farmland. Transmission infrastructure can also be planned and routed with greater care to avoid preserved farms whenever possible.

There will be times when infrastructure projects face difficult decisions. Electricity must be delivered, businesses need reliable power and communities must prepare for future demand. But those challenges should not automatically make preserved farmland the easiest option.

Farmers already face enough uncertainty. Weather, input costs, markets and regulations all affect whether a farm can remain profitable. Losing agricultural ground to development adds another challenge that cannot easily be overcome. Every acre matters, especially in a county where farms contribute to the local economy through equipment purchases, feed suppliers, fuel, labor and the sale of agricultural products.

Farmland preservation also protects more than agriculture. Open farmland provides wildlife habitat, helps manage stormwater and supports the rural character that makes communities attractive places to live. It can also help protect water resources and reduce the pressure to continually develop new land.

None of this means Butler County should reject every data center proposal. It means local leaders, developers, utility companies and residents should insist on thoughtful planning.

Economic development and farmland preservation should not be treated as opposing goals. In fact, protecting agricultural land can help communities make better decisions about where development belongs.

Before approving a project, officials should ask whether it can be moved to a less sensitive location. They should examine alternatives for transmission routes, consider the long-term impact on neighboring farms and make sure that preserved farmland is not being treated as expendable.

The same principle should apply to other forms of development.

If Pennsylvania is serious about protecting its agricultural future, preserved farmland must remain protected from projects that permanently remove it from production.

Farmers should not have to compete with data centers for the survival of their land. Communities should not have to choose between economic opportunity and responsible land use. With careful planning, both agriculture and technology can have a place in Pennsylvania’s future.

The goal should be simple, build the infrastructure we need, but do not destroy the farmland we cannot replace.

Protecting preserved farmland today will help ensure Butler County remains a place where farming can continue for generations to come.

William Thiele is a Butler County dairy farmer and director for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau District 15.