Editing Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (section)

===Agriculture===
With some of the most fertile non-irrigated soil in the U.S., Lancaster County has a strong farming industry.<ref>[http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/wc/subjects/wsnotebks/WRAS-07J.htm Watershed Restoration Action Strategy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106070021/http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/wc/subjects/wsnotebks/WRAS-07J.htm |date=November 6, 2007 }}. Dep.state.pa.us. Retrieved December 23, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/lib/lanco/revprogguidelines_finalfinal_(2).pdf|title=Agricultural Preserve Board|access-date=October 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608152637/http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/lib/lanco/revprogguidelines_finalfinal_(2).pdf|archive-date=June 8, 2011}}</ref> Lancaster County's 5293 farms, generating $800&nbsp;million in food, feed and fiber, are responsible for nearly a fifth of the state's agricultural output.<ref name=nass>[http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/profiles/pa/cp42071.PDF#search=%22census%20of%20agriculture%20lancaster%20county%20pa%22 2002 NASS Agricultural Census] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413185623/http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/profiles/pa/cp42071.PDF#search=%22census%20of%20agriculture%20lancaster%20county%20pa%22|date=April 13, 2008}}</ref> Chester County, with its high-value mushroom farms, is second, with $375&nbsp;million.<ref>[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/PA.htm Pennsylvania Fact Sheet: PA agriculture income population food education employment unemployment federal funds farms top commodities exports counties financial indicators poverty farm income Rural Nonmetro Urban Metropolitan America USDA organic Census of Agriculture] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831055755/http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/PA.htm |date=August 31, 2006 }}. Ers.usda.gov (December 16, 2010; retrieved December 23, 2010.)</ref>

Livestock-raising is responsible for $710&nbsp;million of that $800&nbsp;million, with dairy accounting for $266&nbsp;million, [[chicken|poultry]] and [[egg (food)|egg]]s accounting for $258&nbsp;million. [[Beef|Cattle]] and [[pig|swine]] each accounts for about $90&nbsp;million.<ref name=nass/>

Agriculture is likely to remain an important part of Lancaster County: almost exactly half of Lancaster County's land – {{convert|320000|acre|ha}} – is zoned for agriculture, and of those, {{convert|276000|acre}} are "effective agricultural zoning", requiring at least {{convert|20|acre|ha}} per residence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/lib/lanco/revprogguidelines_finalfinal_(2).pdf|title=Program Guidelines|access-date=October 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608152637/http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/lib/lanco/revprogguidelines_finalfinal_(2).pdf|archive-date=June 8, 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Amish dairy farms 2.jpg|700px|center|thumb|[[Amish]] dairy farms in Lancaster County]]