Featured Farms
Cold Spring Brook Farm
“Our goal in protecting our farm was to keep it in production so we can continue to do what we love to do. We are greatly relieved that the farm is now protected.”
– Tom Nielson, owner and operator
Protecting the farm through partial donation of an easement
Tom Nielson and Steve Bengtson could see the writing on the wall. The cousins, who own Cold Spring Brook Farm in Berlin, watched as the urban development of the Berlin Turnpike crept closer and closer to their farm.
Searching for a solution
Worried about what this could mean for their 41 acres, which had been worked by Tom’s family since 1910 and contains some of the state’s best agricultural soils, they began searching for a way to preserve the land. However, the 41 acres were not ranked highly enough to participate in the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, so they had to come up with another solution. Tom and Steve offered to sell Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) a conservation easement at a steep discount.
A partial donation, federal funds, and CFT supporters made the “deal” complete
CFT secured funding from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and provided matching funds from its Acquisition Fund to purchase the easement in 2004. Steve continues to sell fresh produce and flowers from their farm store, as well as offer a wide variety of seasonal activities such as hay rides. With the foresight from Tom and Steve and the funds from CFT and the NRCS, Cold Spring Brook Farm continues to be a popular stop for residents in Berlin and surrounding communities.
