Even though the City of Reading is adjacent to our Township, Bern has had strong agricultural traditions since it was founded in 1738.
In Berks County nearly 8,000 parcels with agricultural uses receive preferential assessments that base property taxes on use values, rather than fair market values. For information on enrolling in Act 319 Clean and Green, click the link below to reach the Berks County Assessment office: https://www.berkspa.gov/departments/assessment/cama-exports
Berks Nature, a Land Trust, currently holds conservation easements in Bern Twp. For more information on land preservation visit their site: https://berksnature.org/land-protection/protect-your-land/
Bern Township has an Agricultural Security Area (ASA) which supports and protects actively farmed land that is capable of producing agricultural products. An ASA is not zoning, and a landowner retains the right to subdivide, sell or change the use of their land.
In Bern Township applications for voluntary enrollment of parcels with more than 10 acres of crops, pasture or woodland land are accepted in the month of August. The land must be viable agricultural land that has soils conducive to agriculture. Applications are reviewed by the Ag Security Area Advisory Committee.
For more information visit: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/farmland-preservation/agricultural-security-areas.html
Berks County Agricultural Conservation Easement (ACE) Program is a county and state funded preservation program. In June 2025 the Berks County ACE program celebrated preserving 80,000 acres of farmland in Berks. That land will remain agricultural in perpetuity. If a farmer is interested in preserving their land through the Berks County ACE Program, one of the five criteria is that the farm has to be enrolled in an Ag Security Area (ASA).
2025 MAP of Berks Conservation Easements:
Berks County Agricultural Conservation Easement Program 2025 Map
Here is a link to the Berks ACE website:
https://www.berkspa.gov/departments/agriculture/ace-program