Preserved doesn't mean unsellable.

Yes. A conservation easement does not prevent sale — it transfers with the deed. The buyer agrees to keep the property in agricultural or open-space use forever, as defined by the easement terms. Preserved farms sell on the open market like any other property.

Typically yes, on a per-acre basis. Preserved farms generally sell for 60–80% of what a comparable unrestricted farm would bring, because the buyer can never develop or subdivide for non-agricultural use. The exact discount depends on the easement terms, the local buyer pool, and the property's working-farm value.

Working farmers expanding their operation, agricultural investors who want quality ground at a discount, conservation-minded buyers, neighboring farms, and occasionally lifestyle buyers who value the permanent protection of the rural character. The buyer pool is smaller than unrestricted land, but it is real and loyal.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program (administered by counties and the state), private land trusts and conservancies (like Lancaster Farmland Trust, Brandywine Conservancy, etc.), and Clean & Green Act 319 (which is a tax preference, not a permanent easement). Each has different rules about what's allowed.

It depends on the specific easement. Most easements allow agricultural production, some allow forestry, some allow a single farmstead dwelling or replacement dwelling. Most prohibit subdivision for development, commercial uses outside of agriculture, and major non-ag construction. Always read the actual easement document before marketing or buying.

Usually no — the easement holder doesn't need to approve the sale itself. They do need to be notified, and they may have a right of first refusal in some programs. The buyer typically signs an acknowledgment that they understand and will honor the easement terms.

The marketing should reach buyers who actually want preserved land — working farmers, ag investors, conservation buyers — rather than general buyers who'll pass once they see the easement. The price has to reflect the reality of the restriction. And the contract has to handle easement disclosure and acknowledgment correctly.