Connecticut River Valley Farmland, MA

With support from the Peter J. Sharp Foundation, the Fund provides conservation financing for local land trusts to preserve the rural character and agricultural traditions of the Connecticut River Valley. Since 1998, the Fund has helped the Franklin Land Trust in western Massachusetts obtain easements and purchase outright more than 1,700 acres of fertile farmland in one of Franklin County’s most rapidly developing areas. In addition, the Fund has worked with the Deerfield Land Trust to protect more than 100 acres of farmland by providing bridge financing for the purchase of easements.