Protected by: Connecticut Farmland Trust, Town of Lebanon, USDA-NRCS
Year Protected: 2011
Acres: 32
The four siblings in the Mindel family sold a conservation easement on their family’s farm before selling it to ensure that the land would remain a farm. Continuously farmed for over 100 years, the farm includes more than 70% of state and important agricultural soils and is part of a proposed 500+ acre cluster of preserved farmland and open space. A local farmer currently leases the property’s fields for hay production. Mindel Farm is the 4th farm protected by CFT in the town of Lebanon.
CFT partnered with the town of Lebanon to preserve Mindel Farm. The purchase of an easement on the farm was funded by the USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service and CFT’s Acquisition Fund.
The farm is privately owned and is not open to the public.
Maxine Mindel worked with CFT to ensure that her family’s land will be farmland forever. Right before preservation, Maxine said, “It has been a long journey, but with the support of my siblings, and [CFT’s Director of Conservation] Elisabeth Moore’s encouragement and ongoing phone contact, we are seeing this to fruition.”
“It would be wonderful if the agricultural nature of the origin of Lebanon is preserved. During my childhood, there was a beautiful farm nearby that was developed. I’ve seen that happen to a number of farms in Lebanon over the years and I want to make sure that it doesn’t happen to my parents’ property.”