(HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), working with federal and local partners, announces the permanent protection of 13 farm parcels totaling 953 acres in 2025. Since the Farmland Preservation Program began in 1978, Connecticut has safeguarded 455 farm parcels and 51,203 acres through the purchase of development rights (PDR) program, ensuring these lands remain dedicated to agriculture.
“Every farm parcel we preserve has its own story, and we are proud to work alongside landowners to keep these properties in agricultural production,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “Our Farmland Preservation Unit has done an outstanding job working with farmers, landowners, and partners to protect the heritage of Connecticut farmland for future generations.”
Ten of the 13 farm parcels were preserved in collaboration with and received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)-Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) program, which contributed $3 million in federal cost-share support. The average cost per acre rose from $5,500 in 2024 to $7,400 in 2025. Parcel sizes ranged from 21 acres to more than 140 acres, with the average size increasing from 63 acres to 73 acres.
“NRCS is pleased to partner with Connecticut farmers, landowners, towns, and the CT Department of Agriculture to protect our cropland and pastureland in perpetuity,” said Thomas L. Morgart, NRCS Connecticut State Conservationist. “The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) keeps working agricultural lands in working hands by limiting non-agricultural uses of these properties. Keeping farms and ranches in agriculture supports local economies and rural communities while providing benefits like open space and wildlife habitat.”
The following farm parcels were protected in calendar year 2025:
- Miller & Withey Farm (Hampton, 129.7 acres): One of the oldest intact farms in the area, dating back to 1730. The farm parcel contains prime farmland, statewide important and locally important farmland soils supporting hay fields, pasture, silvo-pasture, and orchards.
- Eloise Phelps Clark Nominee Trust Farm (Orange, 20.9 acres): Prime farmland soils used for silage corn and hay, leased to a local beef cattle farmer. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funding and the Town of Orange contributed funding.
- Criscione Farm (Bethlehem, 53.3 acres): Prime, statewide and locally important farmland soils with cropland in hay production by a neighboring farmer. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funds toward the purchase.
- Blair Farm (Eastford, 33.6 acres): Prime and statewide important soils with cropland leased to a local dairy farm for hay production. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funds towards the purchase.
- Flegert Farm (Lebanon, 41.4 acres): Preserved to maintain the family legacy, with prime and statewide important farmland soils with hay fields leased for beef cattle feed. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funds and due diligence support provided by the Town of Lebanon.
- Fort Hill Farms 5, 6, 7 (Thompson, 67.7, 85.8, and 140.7 acres): Combined parcels include prime, statewide important, and locally important farmland soils supporting dairy operations with hay, corn silage, perennial herbs, and seasonal corn maze. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funds.
- Grabarek Farm (Franklin, 79.2 acres): Prime and statewide important farmland soils with cropland in hay and corn silage production to support a dairy calf raising operation. USDA-NRCS contributed ALE funds.
- McEwen Farm (Shelton, 51.7 acres): Hay, corn, and vegetable production by Pumpkinseed Hill Farm on prime, statewide important, and locally important soils. USDA-NRCS provided ALE funds.
- Watley Farm (Goshen, 74.9 acres): Prime, statewide important, and locally important farmland soils with cropland in hay, pasture, and apple trees. USDA-NRCS contributed ALE funds.
- Tanner Farm (Warren, 127.6 acres): Extensive hay and corn production on prime, statewide important, and locally important farmland soils. USDA-NRCS contributed ALE funds and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy coholding the easement.
- Rainville Farm (Norwich, 46.3 acres): Prime and statewide important farmland soils in hay and pasture used to feed beef cattle and sell to local farms.
According to the 2024 American Farmland Trust PACE report, Connecticut ranks ninth nationally in total easements held, and 12th nationally in acreage preserved, ahead of West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia. Connecticut also tied for seventh in the number of easements recently acquired, more than California, Colorado, and Vermont.
For more information on the State of Connecticut’s Farmland Preservation Program, please visit our website.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
