Although various ethnic and religious groups settled present-day Lancaster County, among the earliest were the Anabaptists of Swiss and German descent. These groups, primarily the Mennonites, selected the area just east of Lancaster City for its rich limestone soils. The area’s gently sloping and well-watered land was readily conducive to agriculture, which has been successfully practiced here for nearly 300 years. The early settlement period was characterized by a pattern of dispersed farms, which were initially connected through family or religious ties. This pattern remains etched on Lancaster County’s landscape today.

By the time of the American Revolution, Lancaster County was central to Pennsylvania being the “Bread Basket” of the nation. For many years, Lancaster City had been the nation’s largest inland town. Agriculture flourished in Lancaster County in the 1790s when general commercial farming shifted to a market economy largely based on wheat and cattle production. This is why the nation’s first turnpike, completed in 1794, between Philadelphia and Lancaster, became a priority for merchants and entrepreneurs of both cities. It was during this period that large stone and frame multi-story barns and substantial stone and brick houses were constructed to reflect the growing prosperity of the area. These became the standards for the sturdy structures that form the nucleus of Lancaster County farmsteads today.

By the mid-19th century, farmers in the Midwest, aided by mechanization of farm equipment and vast acreages, surpassed Eastern farmers in wheat and other grain production. Some Pennsylvania farmers soon turned to tobacco production as a cash crop. This was particularly true among the Amish and Mennonite communities. By 1900, Lancaster’s tobacco production accounted for over 90%, or $8 million, of Pennsylvania’s tobacco crop.

The period between 1840 and 1900 was characterized by rapid farm mechanization, which brought new economic and social changes. Anabaptist groups reacted by emphasizing non-conformity and a rejection of modern technology. The Old Order groups confirmed their tradition of family farming by hand as central to their way of life. As result of the economic conditions during the Great Depression many “English” (or non Old Order) farms failed. Consequently, many Amish and Mennonite farmers acquired these farms.

In the last 50 years, suburbanization and commercial development has reduced the total amount of farmland in Lancaster County. Nevertheless, Lancaster County farms continue to be among the most productive in the nation.