Hurricane Valley Farm Final Payment

WHO WE ARE:

The Falmouth Land Trust (FLT) is a 501(c)3 not for profit community land trust that works to preserve open space in Falmouth, Maine. Our goal is to protect natural resources and maintain the traditional character of our community. Our mission includes protecting farms, fields, forests and shorelines so they are never developed.  Our annual budget has historically been below $40K/year.


PROJECT HISTORY:

Hurricane Valley Farm’s name is derived from its establishment in 1768 when a hurricane cleared the trees, and the remaining bare land was settled by some of the earliest residents of Falmouth. The farm has persisted for over two-hundred years having served in different types of production for generations of family farmers. The iconic white barn that still stands on route 100 serves as an historic reminder of the generations that managed the farm and put agricultural products into our community.

In 2015, FLT protected HVF, one of the last intact historic farms in town, prior to it being converted into a housing sub-division. The Trust raised funds from private and public sources to close on the 62-acre property and extinguish the subdivision order.  However, FLT has a remaining debt of $20,000 owed by December, 2017.

COMMUNITY BENEFIT:

Over the past two years, FLT has identified a farming tenant (Cultivating Community) and developed a lease agreement that will maximize benefits for agricultural production and community programming on the property.   The farm will become an incubator site for new farming entrepreneurs, new Americans and others with an interest in starting a farming enterprise.  The farm will remain open to community members for hiking, bird watching and other land based activities. In addition, the farm will provide for local food security and food sovereignty in Southern Maine.

“Please invest in the future of farming in Maine -- your donations will go directly toward the final payment of the Hurricane Valley Farm.”