Family Purchases Large Tract of Conserved Forestland in Bolton

Bolton. Mike and Kristin O'Malley. Vermont Land Trust. Land sale. 489 acres.

In 2008, VLT purchased 489 acres from Ann Villeneuve that adjoins the Robbins Mountain Wildlife Management Area and Camel's Hump State Park. Working with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, VLT conserved the property in 2010 with federal Forest Legacy funding.

Mike and Kristin O'Malley, who own neighboring property, expressed an interest in purchasing the land as soon as they learned it would become available. This was in part because the legal access to the former Villeneuve property crosses their land. They also wanted to have the property serve as a family legacy for their young children. In a short time, Mike became increasingly knowledgeable about timberland management. The O'Malleys also enlisted the help of a forester who shares their commitment to the sound stewardship of this exceptional timber resource. "This conservation project gave us the rare opportunity to link the conservation of a significant piece of timberland with a landowner who can be involved with it on a daily basis," said Carl Powden of VLT.

The protection of this land was part of the Chittenden County Uplands Conservation Project, a partnership of organizations and agencies working to conserve the ecological integrity, recreational opportunities, and working landscape of the uplands of Chittenden County. (January 2011)

Conservation Easement Sale Helps Young Dairy Farmer

Shoreham. Kylie Quesnel. Conservation easement sale. 163 acres.

Kylie Quesnel, a Cornell dairy school graduate, and her husband, Jeremy, are ambitious farmers. Kylie's family has a large dairy operation with more than 1,500 head. The farm needed extra cropland, so when the abutting Walker farm came up for sale, Kylie bought part of the 1,000-acre farm and her parents, Lorenzo and Amy, bought the remaining acreage.

By selling a conservation easement on 163 acres of her portion of the former Walker Farm, Kylie reduced her debt from the large purchase. The conserved land has 120 acres of tillage and 80 percent has statewide-rated agricultural soil. It is adjacent to other conserved land and the Richville Wildlife Management Area. In addition to conserving the farmland, 20 acres of rare clayplain forest received additional ecological protection. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (January 2011)✦

Climbing Group Conserves Additional Land in Bolton

Bolton. Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT). Land added to existing conservation easement. 2 acres.

The Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing public climbing sites, purchased two acres from Calvin and Diana Blow. The land will become part of their Bolton Quarry property, located just off Route 2. After purchasing the land, the group conserved it by adding it to their existing conservation easement. The quarry site is recognized as one of the finest all-season climbing sites in Vermont, and this additional acreage ensures public access to an important cliff. (February 2011)

Brothers Conserve Family Farm, Creek Frontage, and Clayplain Forest

Bridport. Henry and Raymond Barnes. Conservation easement sale. 162 acres.

Brothers Ray and Henry Barnes are joint owners of a farm that has been in their family since 1900. They sold a conservation easement on 162 acres to make sure that the land would remain open and productive for generations to come. There are 75 tillable acres, which are rented by Blue Spruce Farm. The brothers also use the land to pasture some young stock. The conservation of this farm adds to a large block of already conserved farmland.

The property also abuts the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area. Twenty-eight acres along the East Branch of Dead Creek are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which helps farmers protect environmentally sensitive land. Additionally, 38 acres of rare clayplain forest received additional protection in the conservation easement. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (February 2011)✦

First Farmland Conservation Project in Bristol

Bristol and New Haven. James Choiniere. Conservation easement sale. 154 acres.

Bristol has several active dairy farms and a vibrant agricultural economy, but until now, none of the farms in the town were conserved. Jim Choiniere changed that when he conserved 154 acres of his family dairy farm, located on the Bristol and New Haven town line. Jim and his wife, Lynn, are dairy farmers who manage 340 head of cattle. Later this year, they will be diversifying into dairy goats. The newly conserved land has some of the best cropland in the area: 21 acres have prime-rated agricultural soil and 87 acres are statewide-rated. A stretch of rare clayplain forest received added protection in the easement. Additionally, a VAST trail crosses the farm. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (February 2011)✦

Siblings Protect Farmland and Little Otter Creek Frontage

Ferrisburgh. Karlene, Nancy, and Randy DeVine. Conservation easement sale. 37 acres.

After growing up on a farm along Little Otter Creek in Ferrisburgh, the DeVine siblings wanted to see their family land continue to be used for farming. They also recognized the ecological significance of 800 feet of frontage they owned along Little Otter Creek. The property is located near previously conserved land and the Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area. Over the years, the DeVines enjoyed watching the ospreys nest on a platform erected on their land by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

To protect the land's agricultural and natural resources, the siblings worked with VLT and Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife on a two-part conservation project. They generously sold a conservation easement on 37 acres of farmland to VLT for less than full market value. The conservation of the farmland made its subsequent purchase affordable for nearby farmers Jim and Jane Danyow. The DeVines also sold 28 acres of creek frontage and rare clayplain forest to the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (February 2011)✦

Conserved Farm Enhances Dead Creek Wildlife Area

Addison. Peter and Clara DeVries. Conservation easement sale. 432 acres.

Peter and Linda DeVries operated a highly respected family dairy farm for over 40 years. The farm's Dairy of Distinction award acknowledged the importance of this very tidy and well-run farm. Conserving the farm ensures that all their hard work won't be lost to development. The cows are gone now, but with over 100 acres of corn and 250 acres of hay produced every year, the land is still very productive.

The conserved land, which abuts the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, also has important natural attributes. A colony of endangered Indiana Bats was found there in 2006. And, 37 acres of woodland is one of the best examples of rare clayplain forest in Vermont. This type of forest dominated the clay and silt soils of the Champlain Valley prior to European settlement. These acres received additional protections in the conservation easement prohibiting agricultural use. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (March 2011)✦

Boyden Farm in Cambridge Conserved

Cambridge. Fred, Diancy, and Mark Boyden. Conservation easement sale. 371 acres.

The Boyden family's innovative and highly visible farm is well known throughout Vermont. It has been in the Boyden family since 1914. To facilitate transferring the farm to the next generation, Fred and Diancy Boyden and their son Mark conserved the main farm.

The farm exemplifies the growing trend toward agricultural tourism in Vermont. The farm store and winery are popular destinations and the herd of natural beef is well integrated into the diversified operation. Fred and Diancy's son David manages the winery and vineyard and Mark's wife, Lauri, runs the banquet facility. The whole family pitches in during sugaring season. The conserved land is blessed with some of the best agricultural soils in Vermont: 153 acres are prime-rated agricultural soil and 90 acres are statewide-rated. The conservation easement provides for public access along three miles of the Lamoille River. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS), the Fields Pond Foundation, and private donations. (March 2011)✦

Father and Son Conserve Productive Fairfield Farm

Fairfield. Daniel and Eugene Branon. Conservation easement sale. 288 acres.

Dairy farmers Dan and Eugene Branon purchased the former George Archambault farm in two stages: in 2003 they bought the land on the south side of Ridge Road, and in 2008 they bought land they'd been leasing on the north side of the road. In a conservation project sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the Branons sold a conservation easement on both parcels. They use the land for hay, corn, and pasture. The farm is about two miles from Dan's home farm and has a mix of productive agricultural land as well as woodland used in the Branons' sugaring operation. With over 8,000 feet of frontage on Ridge Road, the land had considerable development potential; now that it is conserved, it will be protected as farmland for future generations. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (March 2011)✦

Conservation Facilitates Sale of Prime Farmland

Georgia. Raymond and Robert Limoge and Elaine Bushey. Conservation easement sale. 87 acres.

When siblings Raymond, Robert, and Elaine inherited their parents' farmland in Georgia, their hope was that the productive land would continue to be farmed. Almost the entire property has prime agricultural soils. This made it very appealing to farmers Dave and Cathy Montagne, who purchased the land at its conserved value to help support their St. Albans-based dairy operation. The farmland is traversed by 1,450 feet of Deer Creek. It is also central to the scenic views from Route 7 as travelers head into Georgia Center. The Town of Georgia provided funding from its Conservation Reserve Fund and the Limoge family generously sold the conservation easement for less than full market value. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS), and the Town of Georgia. (March 2011)✦

New Haven Beef Farm Conserved

New Haven. Harvey and Donna Smith. Conservation easement sale. 265 acres.

For more than 30 years, Harvey and Donna Smith ran a traditional family dairy farm. They don't milk cows anymore; instead, they sell naturally raised beef and have a sharecropping arrangement with Elgin Spring Farm. The Smiths sold a conservation easement on their farm, which has 205 acres of tillable, high-quality agricultural soil. Harvey is a leader in promoting acceptable agricul-tural practices, both as a state legislator and as a former Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency.

In addition to its agricultural significance, the conservation of this land protects some important ecological features. Twenty-eight acres contain rare clayplain forest, within which, 17 tree species are present (a large number for a small patch of woods). Little Otter Creek also runs through the farm. The creek frontage is enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which helps farmers protect environmentally sensitive land. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (March 2011)✦

Farm Owned by Dunsmore Family for Over 100 Years is Conserved

St. Albans Town. Carol Dunsmore. Conservation easement sale. 216 acres.

Carol Dunsmore grew up on her family farm on Dunsmore Road in the Town of St. Albans. She cares for Morgan horses and raises sheep and beef cattle on the land, while renting the tillable land to a nearby farmer. In a conservation project led by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Carol sold a conservation easement on 216 acres of farmland. All but two acres of this farm have agricultural soils rated as prime or statewide-significant. The property is traversed by 3,400 feet of Jewett Brook and is surrounded on three sides by other conserved farmland. It is located within the largest block of conserved farmland in Franklin County. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (March 2011)*

Large Tract of Farmland Conserved in Charlotte

Charlotte. Nordic Holsteins LLC (Clark Hinsdale III). Conservation easement sale. 239 acres.

Clark Hinsdale III runs a state-of-the-art dairy farm in Charlotte. It was the first Vermont dairy to have a robotic milking system. In anticipation of adding more cows to his herd, he and his late father, Clark Hinsdale, Jr., purchased the former Bean Farm in 2004. In April, Clark sold a conservation easement on the property for less than market value. The proceeds from the sale of the easement helped Clark purchase more than 250 cows that were once part of the University of Vermont dairy research herd. Students and faculty at UVM continue to use the herd on the Nordic Farm for ongoing research. The robotic milking system is very useful to students and professors at UVM because it efficiently collects data on each cow.

The large fields have good agricultural soil, which is used to produce alfalfa. The conservation easement contains additional protection for 89 acres of woods and the area around Bingham Brook and Mud Hollow Brook, which flow through the property. The forested part of the property contains rare clayplain forest that is part of the largest tract of unfragmented clayplain forest in Chittenden County. A public trail easement was transferred to the Town of Charlotte. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS), the Town of Charlotte, and the Charlotte Land Trust. (April 2011)✦

Conservation Helps Intergenerational Farm Transfer

Colchester. Normand, Robert, and Yvonne Thibault. Conservation easement sale. 175 acres.

Just across the Winooski River from Burlington's Intervale is another large stretch of some of the most fertile farmland in Vermont—"Colchester's Intervale." The Thibault family has farmed these prime agricultural soils since the early 1900s. After one of the Thibault siblings moved on from farming, the family needed to settle the partnership. It was important to them to do this while keeping the farm in the family and their dairy operation going. The sale of a conservation easement on 175 acres helped the family achieve this goal. The entire farm is now owned by Robert and Yvonne and their son Norm. Because of conservation, the land will always be available for farming. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (April 2011)✦

Local Fundraising Successful for Lewis Creek Farmland Conservation

Hinesburg. Peter and Mary Baldwin. Conservation easement sale. 74 acres.

Peter and Mary Baldwin completed the first phase of a two-phase conservation project by conserving 74 acres of farmland along Lewis Creek. They bought the land from the French family in 2008 to expand their farm and to prevent the land from being developed. Peter and Mary's sons, Matt and Dan, use the farmland as part of their successful business growing hay and raising heifers. The brothers are the fourth generation to run the Baldwin farm. They supply hay to horse farms in Vermont and throughout New England and they sell their heifers to local dairy farms. Conserving this portion of the farm and an additional parcel will also ease the heavy debt burden associated with the high cost of land and intergenerational transfers. The Baldwins generously sold the conservation easement for less than market value.

In addition to productive farmland, the parcel has a half-mile of frontage on Lewis Creek. The conservation easement allows for fishing access along the creek and provides extensive protection to the creek's shoreline and surrounding land, in an effort to let the creek follow its natural course. These added protections will improve habitat and reduce the flow of polluting nutrients and sediments. By encouraging woody vegetation, stream temperatures will be lower, which will support habitat for native brook trout. "Protecting the river corridor lands at the Baldwin Farm is one more step along the way of restoring the Lewis Creek system and the waters of Lake Champlain," said Marty Illick, of the Lewis Creek Association, which helped with the project. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS), the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Castanea Foundation, Town of Hinesburg, and other private donations. (Apri 2011l)✦

Swanton Farmland Conserved

Swanton. David and Peggy Howrigan. Conservation easement sale. 100 acres.

In 2007, David and Peggy Howrigan purchased 114 acres of prime farmland in Swanton to grow feed for their dairy operation in Fairfield. In order to reduce their debt from this acquisition, they decided to conserve 100 acres of the land. The conserved land has excellent agricultural soils (98 percent of the soil is rated prime or statewide-significant). Hungerford Brook traverses the property and, along with the adjoining wetlands, provides great habitat for wildlife. Ultimately, the Howrigans decided to sell this land to Ron and Cheryl Machia and their sons, a Franklin County farm family based in Sheldon. The sale occurred immediately after the land was conserved. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets sponsored this project. Funded by VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (April 2011)✦

Conservation Helps Family Keep Farmland

Williston. David and Deborah Conant. Conservation easement sale. 48 acres.

The Conant family and their farm have been fixtures in the towns of Richmond, Williston, and Jericho for generations. The Conants needed to settle changes in the family partnership and wanted to do so in a way that would keep the farmland in the family. Their land along North Williston Road in Williston would be valuable for development, but its soils and proximity to population centers also made it important for their business, especially if the Conants further diversify their farm operation. The Conants decided to sell a conservation easement on 48 acres of farmland and donated a trail easement to the Town of Williston. Conservation of this farmland was important to the Town of Williston, as the property defines the transition from higher-density zoning to the agricultural district. It also is important to the town's scenic character and provides a critical link in the town's planned trail network. Funded by the Town of Williston Environmental Reserve Fund and VHCB (with matching funds from USDA NRCS). (June 2011)✦

VHCB: Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
NRCS: Natural Resources Conservation Service

✦ Denotes conservation easements co-held by VLT, VHCB, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.