Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) is pleased to announce the protection of Bilger Farm in Meriden, one of the last farms in the city.
Owner Lucille Bilger, the last remaining Bilger in the family, moved to convey the farm’s development rights to the state after the fatal tractor accident of her 82-year old brother David in 2010. “My family has operated and loved our farm for a number of generations and have always wished to have it preserved as a farm for future generations as well,” she said. “Over the years my brothers and I have turned down offers from developers, hoping that we could ultimately preserve the farm.” While once a dairy farm, Bilger Farm is now used to grow hay for livestock support. The 76-acre farm includes a dairy barn, a colonial-style house built circa 1880, and a garage.
CFT Executive Director Elisabeth Moore said, “It is one of the last farms in Meriden and a very desirable location. If it weren’t for the passion of Lucille Bilger and her family to protect it, it would most certainly have been developed.” The farm can be viewed from Chauncey Peak on the nearby New England Trail.