Vermont Land Trust Press Release - Organic Dairy Farm Conserved in Marshfield

For immediate release, December 22, 2004
For more information, contact:
Mark McEathron, Central Vermont Director at 802-223-5234
or Elise Annes, Vice President for Community Relations at 802-223-5234

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Organic Dairy Farm Conserved in Marshfield

MARSHFIELD – Two decades ago Joe Lee bought a small dairy farm in Marshfield, and over time developed a herd of quality milking cows. His farm was certified organic in 1996, and has produced organic milk from approximately 45 cows ever since. Four years ago he nearly lost his life in a tractor accident, but great medical care, friends, neighbors, and the larger community helped both he and the farm weather the storm until he recovered from his injuries. Now, with dedicated hired man Jason Lowry helping run the operation, the farm is poised for many more decades of producing milk. To help ensure that future, Lee sold a conservation easement on his 163-acre farm to the Vermont Land Trust (VLT).

“It’s a beautiful place and I’ve put twenty years of my life into this land,” said Lee. “I want to see it stay in agriculture.”

The farm sits on Ennis Hill Road in Marshfield, facing northeast toward the mountains of Groton State Forest, Cabot and beyond. The open fields along the road, combined with the scenic mountain views, make the property ripe for future development.

“I think this farm should always remain a farm. Selling the development rights to VLT ensures this land will remain productive farmland,” added Lee.

VLT is statewide private conservation group that conserves farms and other lands by acquiring the development rights. Development rights are transferred, by donation or sale, through a land deed called a conservation easement. The conservation easement either completely prohibits or strictly limits future development, while allowing farming, forestry, and recreational uses to continue. Land protected by a conservation easement remains in private ownership and can be purchased and sold just like other lands. However, the easement permanently remains on the property, binding all future owners.

The farm lies near the edge of Cabot, with other farms nearby. Just up the road from the Lee farm is the Lowry farm, conserved with great community support and the help of VLT, in 1996. The Lee farm uses the Lowry farm fields and pastures, as it have for nearly two decades. Further down the road sits the Carpenter organic dairy farm, and not far beyond it is the Tebbetts family land, which was also an organic dairy farm until Arnold Tebbetts was killed in a car accident. The Lee farm now produces hay on the Tebbetts’ farm meadows.

Prior to conserving the Lee farm, VLT had helped conserve more than 1,200 acres in Marshfield and another 1,000 acres in Cabot, including a half-dozen working farms.

“There are so many great farms in Cabot and surrounding towns,” stated Mark McEathron, VLT’s Central Vermont Director. “It’s our goal to help conserve more of the quality agricultural land in the area, because that conserved land base will help to ensure that farming has a strong future. We’re about to conserve two more farms in the area, and I hope the message is out, that we want to help conserve more farmland.”