News

Connecticut Farmland Trust just completed preservation of Wike Brothers Farm in Sharon at the end of July. It has been owned and worked by the same family for almost 150 years. They raise free range chickens, pigs, and cattle. This is CFT's 21st preserved farm!

Connecticut Farmland Trust is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for the Working Lands Alliance's March 27th Conference - Plowing Ahead: Farmland Preservation in 2010 and beyond.

We just completed our first preservation project of 2010 - Little Pond Farm in Stonington. Read more here.

CFT is proud to announce the preservation of our 19th farm! Read about Vanishing Geese Farm in Durham here.

Check out these special photos of Christmas tree shopping at Humphrey Evergreen Farms in Hamden.

Here is Connecticut Farmland Trust's Fall 2009 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 8.02 MB).

Faith Middleton and Jacques Pépin will be returning this year as Honorary Co-chairs of the Celebration of Connecticut Farms. Read about their accomplishments and contributions here.

Support Connecticut Farmland Trust by going Shopping! On Wednesday, June 24nd, 5% of the day's net sales at Whole Foods Markets in Glastonbury, Greenwich, Westport and West Hartford (Bishops Corner and 50 Raymond Road) will be donated to Connecticut Farmland Trust. Stop by and show you support farmland preservation in Connecticut just by buying groceries. Hope to see you on June 24th!

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Spring 2009 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 1.68 MB).

CFT helped the State of Connecticut to preserve its 250th farm!

The Connecticut Farmland Trust teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to preserve nearly 600 acres on Eightmile River. Read more about the preservation of The Salem Valley Corporation here.

CFT's Executive Director, Henry Talmage and Board Members Robin Chesmer and Bill Duesing will be guests on The Faith Middleton Show Monday, March 9th. Tune in to WNPR at 3 pm or 11 pm or you can listen live on the web.

The Connecticut Farm Bureau Association Dairy Committee has developed a website dealing exclusively with saving the dairy industry. Check it out here!

Join us on March 18th on the Capitol Steps to Speak Up for Agriculture!

On Thursday, April 2nd at 7:30pm at Fairfield Theatre, a concert will be held to benefit the Connecticut Farmland Trust by Band Together. Tickets are available here.

2008 Archive

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Fall 2008 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 7.34 MB).

In December, CFT completed preservation of the historic Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford. Hunt Hill is the 16th farm to be preserved by the Connecticut Farmland Trust.

On November 13, CFT announced the successful preservation of Colchester's Cato Corner Farm - a 75-acre dairy specializing in artisanal cheeses.

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Spring 2008 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 1.17 MB).

On June 6th, 7th and 8th Chamard Vineyard in Clinton will host DINNERS at the FARM to benefit the Connecticut Farmland Trust.

Click here to view Connecticut Farmland Trust's 2007 Annual Report (Adobe PDF file, 2.87 MB).

The Trust announced the preservation of Grassy Hill Farm in Falls Village. An agricultural conservation easement on the 38-acre farm was donated to the Trust by landowners Richard and Mary Lanier.

2007 Archive

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Fall/Winter 2007 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 8.55 MB).

On September 27, CFT announced the the successful preservation of Stoney Hedge Farm in Lebanon, CT. An agricultural conservation easement on the 22-acre farm was donated to the Trust by owner Ed Tollmann.

On August 20, the Trust announced the successful preservation of over 1,000 acres on 12 farms across the state since its founding in 2002.

On May 14, the Trust announced that it received a grant from the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program to cover part of the cost of protecting 21.8 acres of croplands and woodlands on Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford. This historic farm -- cultivated ever since it was settled in 1707 -- will help link over 500 acres of protected open space, including three other farms.

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Spring 2007 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 925K).

On April 13, the brand-new, Emmy-nominated documentary Working the Land: The Story of Connecticut Agriculture will have its broadcast premiere at 9 pm on Connecticut Public Television. This film by multiple Emmy Award-winning director Ken Simon illuminates Connecticut’s farming history and contemporary public policy. The Trust is a lead underwriter. Sam Waterston narrates the film. Visit the Working the Land website for more.

On March 26, the Trust successfully completed its work with a Northwest Corner dairyman to permanently protect his 19.8-acre working farm, Stone Wall Dairy. We're proud to announce that this agricultural conservation easement protects a picturesque farmstead, pastures along the Housatonic River, and land within view of the Appalachian Trail. Stone Wall Dairy produces raw milk and is the largest active dairy in the Town of Cornwall.

On March 5, the Department of Agriculture announced a new program of low-interest loans to help Connecticut dairy farmers "reverse recent financial losses by providing grants, loans and access to credit to offset costs incurred due to federal price controls and high energy costs." Applications and more information about the Dairy Farm Reinforcement Program are available on the Department's website.

Back in November, the Trust's staff aided the Town of East Windsor in applying for a state Agriculture Viability Grant. On January 8, the Dept. of Agriculture issued a press release stating that the town won the full amount it requested. The project, called "Laying the Groundwork for a Farmland Preservation Program," will involve inventorying and ranking farmland within East Windsor, adapting town regulations to make them more farm-friendly, and conducting outreach to farm landowners and the general public. The Trust will assist with outreach to farm landowners.

2006 Archive

On December 14, 2006, the Trust and our project partner the Salem Land Trust closed on an easement to preserve On the Hill Farm in Salem. We're proud to announce that this easement protects 53.9 acres of pasture and hay for beef cattle, prime agricultural soils, and rare grassland habitat, as well as the colonial farmhouse and barns.

On November 2, 2006, the Trust received a grant from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Open Space Grant Program to cover part of the cost of protecting one of the last family farms in the town of Seymour. This farm is one of our highest priorities for protection.

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Fall 2006 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 725K).

Here is the Connecticut Farmland Trust Spring 2006 Newsletter (Adobe PDF file, 1M).