If you are visiting this website or are subscribed to this blog, you likely know about my book The Last Farm, in which a farmer is debating selling off to a warehouse developer. When I wrote the story, it was based on what I saw with farms in Berks and Lehigh Counties, though I knew Schuylkill was a logical move for the big developers. Hamburg and Interstate 78 access is only fifteen minutes away, and with it, access to one of the main arteries of shipping traffic between the eastern and western part of Pennsylvania. Little did I know that less than a year after publication, this very story would become a reality.

In Fall of 2024, a petition went out and road signs went up, raising awareness of a major development project that was being proposed just outside of my town of Orwigsburg, PA. A tract of farmland along Route 61 was under consideration to become a warehouse. I’ll let you read into the pros and cons of the project, but I’ve watched the debate with a bit of deja vu as to how it mirrors the dilemma in my novel. I do not know the family that owns that land, nor do I know exactly what the developer was proposing. The core issue is one that is reflected across the nation. How do communities balance the economic benefits of a huge development project like this versus the loss of farmland?

As of January 15, 2025, the issue has been resolved. The developer has withdrawn his proposal. The petition started by the group Stop 61 Warehouses collected 848 signatures. I encourage you to read some of the comments on the petition page. It sounds like the meeting my character Jeth attended.

Overall, it’s one of those times where I have to just sit back and think about what I wrote. I’ve said all along that The Last Farm was a story that just burned to get out. I think the signs that development was coming our way were there. They haven’t gone away either. I can only imagine the debates undergone by the family that owns the proposed site. And they won’t be the last family to have them. It’s hard to imagine what our community will look like in another twenty years. Farming is tough. Land is at a premium. These decisions are hard, and I wholeheartedly hope that my book can start discussions within communities before they are surprised by their new “neighbors”.

Petition to stop warehouses on Route 61: https://www.petitions.net/stop_commercial_development_in_north_manheim_township

Update on the proposed project by Stop 61 Warehouses: https://stop61warehouses.com/2025/01/24/regarding-community-crossroads-withdrawal-letter/

Haven’t read my book yet? Now’s a great time!