Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) is pleased to announce the protection of the 22-acre Beltane Farm in Lebanon. Beltane Farm is the ninth farm protected by Connecticut Farmland Trust in the town of Lebanon and the second farm protected under the Department of Agriculture’s Community Farms Preservation Program.
The preservation of Beltane Farm has helped owner, Paul Trubey and partner Mark Pearsall create a business that’s both financially viable and personally sustainable. The now protected land is home to a herd of over 80 dairy goats that are milked seasonally to produce milk, yogurt, and cheese that are widely available throughout the northeast. Beltane Farm is often noted as a smaller operation whose value-added products make a strong contribution to Connecticut agriculture.
Elisabeth Moore, Executive Director of Connecticut Farmland Trust said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with the Department of Agriculture and the landowners to create a land preservation agreement for Beltane Farm. This agreement keeps the land in private hands and preserves traditional land uses such as working family farms.”
Connecticut Farmland Trust’s Acquisition Fund, Connecticut Department of Agriculture Community Farms Preservation Program, and the Town of Lebanon provided funding for the preservation.