Connecticut Farmland Trust partners with Freund Farms to establish the state’s first Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value (OPAV), helping ensure farmland remains accessible to future generations of farmers.

Connecticut has reached an important milestone in farmland preservation. Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) has helped secure the state’s first ever OPAV agreement, adding another layer of protection to 199 acres of farmland owned by the Freund family in East Canaan.

Signed by Ben, Matt, and Theresa Freund, the voluntary agreement covers farmland along Route 44 that is already protected from development. The OPAV builds on that protection by helping ensure the property remains affordable and available for agricultural use for future farmers.

Protecting farmland from development is essential, but it is only part of the challenge facing Connecticut agriculture. Rising land costs can make it difficult for new and established farmers to purchase the acreage they need to grow their businesses.

An OPAV helps address this challenge. If the property is sold, the agreement provides an opportunity for eligible farmers or members of farming families to purchase the land at its agricultural value rather than its potentially higher market value.

By helping keep farmland affordable, OPAVs can create opportunities for the next generation of farmers and support the long-term future of Connecticut agriculture.

Protecting farmland is a critical first step. We also need to make sure the next generation of farmers can afford to access the land they need to grow food and sustain their businesses,” said Michelle Gittlen, Executive Director of Connecticut Farmland Trust. “This agreement is an important step toward making that possible.”

CFT and the Freunds celebrated this occasion with a celebration in late October at the Freund’s Farm Market & Bakery. Friends and family gathered to enjoy a farm-to-table meal and shared stories with each other.

For CFT, this milestone represents an important step forward in its work to protect Connecticut’s working farmland not only from development, but also from the rising costs that can put agricultural land out of reach for future farmers.

As farmland continues to face pressure from development and increasing land costs, CFT will continue working with farmers, landowners, and partners to find innovative ways to keep Connecticut farmland in production for generations to come.

Photo Credit: Casey McManus