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
Commissary Point	Whiting	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.