The current economy has made it difficult for farmers to profit off their land, said Natalie Ferry, coordinator of Special Program Initiatives for the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office.

"They get to the point where no one wants to continue the family business, and they are left with no choice but to sell their land," she said.

Lathbury said many state municipalities do not have proper land-use plans to protect and preserve their farmland.

Ferguson Township planning and zoning director Trisha Lang said there is a law limiting how many acres of farmland can be subdivided and sold to developers in Ferguson Township, but in some of the surrounding townships those restrictions do not exist.

Dan Harner, owner of Harner Farms, 2191 W. Whitehall Road, said he feels pressure to sell some of his land because of its location.

"My farm is in a good location for developers because it is across from a car dealership far down West College Avenue," he said.

Harner Farms has been in Harner's family for two generations, since 1945, he said.

But he said his highly developed surroundings do not interfere with the success of his farm.

At a grain crop farm just a mile up the road from Harner Farms, Irving said an owner must operate at least 400 to 500 acres of land to have a profitable farm.

"Christmas tree farms could survive on less land, but we can't," Harner said. "There used to be a day when dairy farms could pull in a profit with no more than 20 cows and that was it, but now they've got to milk 100 of them to make a decent living."

Farmers are also struggling to afford to live in their farmland homes, Lathbury said.

"An increase in population means an increase in taxes," he said. "It means a need for more schools, more roadways, more hospitals, more stores ... everything becomes more costly."

Robert Graves, professor of agricultural engineering, said there have been several situations where new neighbors have complained to authorities regarding annoyances with their neighbors' farming practices.

Ferry said that it is the type of agriculture practiced that bothers new residents.

"Business in animal production is usually more offensive than, say, crop farming," Graves said. "But you can't make the cows go away and still get the milk out of them."

Ferry said some residents are trying to pass regulations through their township supervisors that will hinder farmers' methods of production and regulate their practices, but the Pennsylvania State Legislature protects the farmers' rights to farm the way they want and need to.

"You can't get rid of the way farmers do business and still reap the benefits of living in the country," she said. "The farmers are just trying to do their jobs."