(Lancaster) -- A central Pennsylvania county will benefit the most when it comes to state dollars for farmland preservation projects. The Department of Agriculture has earmarked $22 million for the effort and Lancaster County will receive more than $2 million, or about $400,000 more than last year. Matt Knepper, director of the county's Agricultural Preserve Board, says a computer program helps determine which farms will be preserved. "It's all based on the size of the farm, its location relative to other preserved farms, the quality of its soils, and other factors," he says. "All of those factors are taken into consideration, and the farms that are the highest priority are preserved first, and we just move on down that list until we run out of money for the year." Knepper says farmers must enter into an agreement with the county to prevent their property from ever being developed. Lancaster County has also set aside more than $3 million for farmland preservation. Knepper says he hopes about 30 farms will be protected this year.