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Kingsbury Community Farm
Thank you for your interest in the Kingsbury Community Farm in Warren and Waitsfield, Vermont. The Vermont Land Trust, with financial contributions from the Town of Warren Conservation Reserve Fund and the Mad River Valley Conservation Partnership, purchased the farm from the Kingsbury family in November 2007. The purchase was part of a community initiative to conserve this scenic agricultural resource and to transfer the farm to new owners who will establish a farming enterprise that will contribute to local agriculture and enrich the Mad River Valley community. The Vermont Land Trust, with the guidance of its community partners, intends to select a buyer for the farm and complete the transfer of the property to a new owner by December 2008. The community partners include the Town of Warren, the Mad River Watershed Conservation Partnership (a coalition of the Mad River Valley Planning District, Friends of the Mad River, and the Vermont Land Trust), Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and the Mad River Valley Localvore Project.
Goals for this project include the establishment of an active farm operation on land that will be perpetually conserved and affordable to current and future generations of farmers. The project will also protect the Mad River corridor and its associated natural values and establish a recreational path alongside the Mad River. Additional community aspirations for the future of the Kingsbury Community Farm were identified during several public gatherings held in the fall and winter of 2007. Community members expressed a strong interest in seeing the Kingsbury Farm renewed as a viable and innovative farm demonstrating sustainable agricultural practices, increasing the availability of locally-grown food and farm products, and creating new opportunities for the community to strengthen its connection to agriculture. Please refer to www.kingsburycommunityfarm.org for more information about this project. A Kingsbury Community Farm Committee,
consisting of representatives from the community partners, has been
established to guide this conservation project. Members of the committee
are willing to consult with potential buyers about agricultural and
community uses of the property or discuss ownership options for the
property.
There are 12 acres of open land with 100% prime agricultural soils. Eight acres will be available as tillable cropland. Approximately four additional acres are located within a Riparian Buffer Area alongside the Mad River and a tributary that crosses the property; these acres will be available for no-till agricultural practices. The farm also includes several acres of woods, a cluster of buildings, and land beneath the Mad River (the property line extends to the center line of the river). Maps referenced in the appendix (and available for download) show the location of the fields, proposed trail corridor and riparian buffer area, and identify the soil types found on the property. Additional information including maps and photos is available at www.kingsburycommunityfarm.org. The Kingsbury Community Farm includes a main house, a 38’ x 100’ barn, and a five-bay garage. The five-bedroom house has approximately 2,812 square feet of living area. A building inspection report is available upon request. The property is serviced by a spring. The basement includes a large room which could be suitable for a root cellar. The two-story barn has tie stalls on the first level that remain from a dairy operation in the 1950s. This space could be functional for small livestock, equipment and feed storage, and as a retail sales outlet for products. The second level of the barn, accessed by a high drive, is open and would provide space for a wide variety of agricultural or other community uses or activities.
This property has significant potential
for the establishment of a commercial, diversified farming operation.
The farm’s central location on Route 100 would provide excellent
opportunities for the direct sale of farm products as well as community
events or activities. The Mad River Valley has a reputation for strong
support of agriculture and local food and, as indicated above, an
interest in seeing the Kingsbury Community Farm contribute to a
community-based food system in the Valley. A farmer’s market in
Waitsfield’s business district, is in operation on Saturdays from May to
October and there is a winter farmer’s market open once a month in
November and December at a nearby site.
The Kingsbury Community Farm will be sold subject to a perpetual farmland conservation easement that will prohibit the future subdivision or development of the property and ensure the long-term affordability of the farm. The conservation easement will include the following components:
The enclosed publications, “Operating Farm Easement: Guide to the Legal Document” and “Operating Farms: Vermont Land Trust Option to Purchase” give a detailed summary of the terms and restrictions of the Vermont Land Trust conservation easement. There will be two open houses at the farm to allow potential buyers to see the property and meet with representatives from the Vermont Land Trust and our community partners. These will be held on Saturday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 7 from 10 am to 1 pm. If you are unable to make either of these dates, let us know and we will try to agree on another time when you can see the property. Applicants are requested to respond if interested in participating in the open house. An appraisal prepared by Richard Larson valued the conserved farm at $225,000. The appraisal determined the restricted value of the property subject to a VLT conservation easement and an Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value as described above. A copy of the appraisal is available upon request. The Vermont Land Trust and its community partners plan to select a proposal from a buyer or buyers (see ownership options below) who best satisfies the following criteria:
The vision for the Kingsbury Community Farm is of an active, viable farm operation that also has a close connection with the community. The extent to which a proposal can incorporate agricultural and community-oriented goals may depend upon the buyer’s proposed ownership model. Collaborative partnerships are welcome. (Please visit www.kingsburycommunityfarm.org where other parties interested in the farm may post their ideas or queries.) The selection of a buyer will consider the capacity for each ownership model to balance the desired project goals. For this reason, the proposal should identify buyers as one of the following:
If you are interested in making an offer on this property, we will need the following by June 9, 2008:
Please send your offer and related materials to Siobhan Smith at the Vermont Land Trust, 8 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, VT 05602. To check on the status of your application, contact Siobhan at (802) 262-1217 or e-mail siobhan@vlt.org. To request any additional materials, or if you have further questions about the farm and the process, call Liza Walker at the Vermont Land Trust at (802) 496-3690 or e-mail liza@vlt.org . If you are unable to meet the deadline for submitting a proposal for purchase of the Kingsbury Community Farm, but are interested in the farm, contact Siobhan Smith anyway so that we know that you are interested and we will keep you informed of the progress we are making on selling the farm. We look forward to hearing from you.
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The Kingsbury Community Farm consists of
20.2 acres of high-quality farmland located along the Mad River and
Route 100, one and a half miles south of Irasville, Waitsfield’s
commercial district. 
The land has been leased for many years
by a neighboring farmer who is growing hay again this year. The hay land
has been fertilized with manure in recent years.