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Land for Maine's Future Program



Farmland Conservation

SUMMARY:
Land for Maine’s Future Program (LMFP) established in 1987 is the only state funding program that includes farmland conservation through the fee acquisition or the purchase of development rights as part of its mandate. The LMFP and the Maine Department of Agriculture work in partnership to solicit Federal and private dollars, identify good projects, and bring proposals focused specifically on farmland conservation before the LMF Board. This partnership has resulted in many successful proposals for federal dollars through the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service’s “Farmland and Ranchland Protection Program”.  

LMF FARMLAND CONSERVATION PROJECTS COMPLETED:
To date the Land for Maine’s Future Program has completed (24) projects which conserve farmlands. These are listed below:

Project Name

Town Located

Acres Protected
Land Protection Mechanism
Alice Wheeler Farm Richmond 307
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Commissary Point Whiting 200
Fee and
50
Conservation Easement
Tide Mill Farm Whiting 1,520
Conservation Easement
Wilshore Farm Falmouth 183
Conservation Easement
Bowden Farm Blue Hill 208
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Hiatt Farm Dresden 92
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Lakeside Orchards Manchester 189
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Beech Hill Rockport 100
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Lorio Farm Blue Hill 116
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Clarry Hill – Jackson Farm Waldoboro 216.5
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Clarry Hill – MVLT tract Union 25.5
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Jordan Farm Cape Elizabeth 47
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Meserve Farm Scarborough 424.4
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Packard-Littlefield Farm Lisbon 194.7
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Five Fields Farm Bridgton 204
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Lover’s Brook Farm Berwick/So. Berwick 83
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Hanson Farm Sanford 284
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Sabbathday lake New Gloucester 1,635
Agricultural Conservation Easement

Tibbetts Farm

Berwick

259.5

Agricultural Conservation Easement

Crystal Spring Farm - North

Brunswick

155

Agricultural Conservation Easement

Mitchell-Ledge Farm

Freeport

105

Agricultural Conservation Easement

Hawes-Prairie Road

Unity

163.8

Agricultural Conservation Easement

Smith-Dutton Farm

Unity

217.7

Agricultural Conservation Easement

Rudolph Farm

Unity

114

Agricultural Conservation Easement

 

LMF Farmland  Acreage Protected to Date:
Agricultural Conservation Easement:  5141.10 ± acres; Conservation Easement: 1,953 acres. As of April 2008, LMF has underway active farmland protection projects that would result in conserving an estimated 1,158 ± acres.

STATEWIDE INTEREST.  The participation from the farm community has reflected statewide interest to each of LMFB’s “Call for Proposals.”  Beyond the towns listed above applications have also come from:  Auburn, Caribou, Dexter, New Sharon, Vassalboro, Farmington, Knox, Bowdoinham, Union, Lisbon, Litchfield, Cumberland Center, Falmouth, Springvale, Nobleboro, Cape Elizabeth, Somerville, So. Berwick, Bridgton, Kennebunk, Penobscot.

FURTHER INFORMATION:  For information concerning the Land for Maine’s Future Program, you can reach LMF staff at LMF (207) 287-1485.  For further information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources’ farmland protection efforts underway in Maine,  you may reach agency staff directly at  (207) 287- 7520 or http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/mpd/farmland/. Your local land trust may also be contacted about land conservation in your local area.