Farmland
The soils of the Connecticut River Valley are among the richest in the world, ideal for growing food crops.
The Valley has a long and deep agricultural history, providing food locally and throughout the Northeast region. We lead the nation in promoting locally grown and organic products through farm stands and farmer’s markets.
However, farmland is easily threatened by development, so conservation alternatives like an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) exist to help keep our farms in production.
The Big Picture: Keeping Farmers on the Land
Since 2009, Kestrel has spearheaded efforts to see that more farmland throughout the region is protected forever with the creation of the Forever Farmland Initiative. The partnership is a collaboration of land trusts, agricultural support organizations, and local and state agencies working together to increase the pace of farmland conservation in the Connecticut River Valley – and raise public awareness of the critical importance of doing so.
Learn more by watching the WGBY documentary “A Long Row in Fertile Ground” which includes interviews with the Forever Farmland partners.
