\u201cWe could not have afforded the purchase of the farm without the easement\u201d<\/p>Baylee Drown, Long Table Farm<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Conserved land\nhas become a key tool for many young farmers. In Connecticut, where farmland is\nsome of the most expensive in the country and infrequently comes up for sale,\npurchasing conserved land offers a rare opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Agricultural\nconservation easements\u2014voluntary, long-term agreements that protect land for\nfarming\u2014help keep farmland in production and within reach for new farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conservation vision, farming innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Baylee and\nQuinn\u2019s farming story begins with Deb and Rob Hornbake, who purchased the\nparcel in 2012 to create a wholesome food producing farm on a former hayfield.\nMotivated by a desire to preserve farmland to support young farmers, and\nprovide healthy food for their community, the Hornbakes worked with Connecticut\nFarmland Trust (CFT) to conserve the land in 2017. They began leasing it to\nBaylee and Quinn in 2015, creating the path for Long Table Farm to take root.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With support from\nCFT and the generosity of our donors, the Hornbakes protected the land, with\nfeedback and guidance on the easement from farmers Baylee and Quinn, ensuring\nthe easement would work for a viable farm operation. Baylee and Quinn purchased\nthe land at its agricultural value, rather than the development value, and are\nnow growing food, building community, and stewarding the soil for the next\ngeneration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long Table Farm\nis a model of innovation and thoughtful land use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Small parcels yield big impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With just a few\nacres, Baylee and Quinn run a diversified business that includes farm market\nsales and a thriving Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. They also\nlease land from the nearby Lyme Land Trust to expand production. \u201cWith\nintensive, regenerative practices, you can produce an immense amount of food on\nvery little acreage, while building biodiversity and soil health,\u201d Baylee said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CSA program\nis a major success, in part because they know their customers. \u201cYou have to\ngive people what they want and are familiar with,\u201d said Baylee, \u201cand also keep\nit interesting\u2014no more than one weird thing a week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve made the\nmost of Connecticut\u2019s unique geography\u2014a blend of urban, suburban, and rural\nareas\u2014which supports strong direct-to-consumer sales. \u201cOther states don\u2019t have\nthis dynamic geography\u2014farmers here can benefit from diverse soil types and a\nresilient landscape rich in flood-preventing swamps and bogs,\u201d Baylee noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Innovation doesn\u2019t stop at crop selection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Their innovation\nalso extends to sustainable practices. \u201cOur farming practices are regenerative\nfor soils, making them better than when we arrived,\u201d Baylee said. \u201cOur\nlivestock are a source of pest control and fertility. Our composting operations\ndraw in the entire Lyme community, and all our practices help us eliminate the\nneed for any synthetic chemicals. When your soil is healthy, your plants are\nhealthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve also tapped into solar energy, an imminent solar installation powering their farm and an electric truck. High tunnels extend the growing season by trapping warmth from the sun earlier and later in the year. \u201cYou have to get good quickly at the things you are already good at, and keep innovating,\u201d Quinn said. \u201cAfter all, you only get maybe three dozen tries at getting it right in your lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have to get good quickly at the things you are already good at, and keep innovating, after all, you only get maybe three dozen tries at getting it right in your lifetime.\u201d <\/p>Ryan Quinn, Long Table Farm<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Baylee and\nQuinn\u2019s work prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience\u2014all\nrooted in a deeper mission: to serve their community and care for the land.\nConserved farmland gave them a viable path to ownership, and they\u2019ve turned\nthat opportunity into a thriving, forward-thinking farm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our challenge now is to increase the pace of conservation in Connecticut so that other farmers, throughout the state, can purchase and care for the land, for future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ctfarmland.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Lettuce-In-High-Tunnel-1024x683.jpg\")
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