Connecticut Farmland Trust announces another successful partnership project: 22 acres of farmland have been permanently dedicated to agricultural uses through a joint effort with the owner, Richard L. Barger, the Bolton Land Trust, and the US Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service. The property is located at the corner of Brandy Street and Loomis Road, across from the Bolton High School tennis courts.
When this land with high quality soils went up for sale, Rich bought the land to get it off the market and figure out how to get it preserved as farmland. His generous donation of part of the land value, together with donors to the Bolton Land Trust and the Connecticut Farmland Trust, and some federal financing, ensured the farm will be available to future farmers forever.
Connecticut Farmland Trust helped preserve the farm by providing partial funding for upfront costs, obtaining federal financing and coordinating the efforts of the partners. The Bolton Land Trust’s donors helped fund the project too and the project would not have been completed without their involvement and generosity.
Preserving this farm ensures that its high percentage of good quality soils will always be used for agriculture. Its size is suitable for a new farmer starting out, the two ponds on the property provide habitat for amphibians, and American Woodcocks enjoy the field edges for breeding and nesting in the early spring. Rich is currently removing the very aggressive, destructive Phragmites and decades of accumulated silt from the ponds, which will restore the oxygen level in the water and allow regrowth of native vegetation (see picture of Rich with his tractor above).
We look forward to seeing what’s next for Barger Farm!