Connecticut Farmland Trust

Connecticut Farmland Trust - For Farms, Forever.

- but only with your help

YOU ARE NEEDED NOW

In 2001, a group of farmers, agricultural policy experts, food system thought leaders, and conservation-minded philanthropists met in a sparsely decorated Hartford office and found common ground over the loss of Connecticut’s family farms.

The Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) was born a few months later, in 2002. We are proud to have protected 76 farms and 6,280 acres of farmland since then. We've also worked with partners to protect 1,500 more acres. 

Chances are you value strong local economies, a healthy environment, and a sense of community. Farmland conservation is central to those values, yet Connecticut lost 22,000 acres of farmland between 2016 and 2024 alone!

More Money = More Farms Protected + New and Beginning Farmers Supported.

You may not be able to give $20,000 yourself, but what you can give is deeply appreciated. Please make a gift today, tell your friends you did so, and invite them to make one too. Together, we can help Connecticut feed itself, adapt to climate change, and have farming remain a strong economic engine. Visit our website here to learn more about our work.

Your gift allows CFT to bring farmers together with State and Federal Departments of Agriculture, local land trusts and Agriculture Commissions, to take on the difficult and lengthy projects no one can manage alone.  With you on our side, we leverage powerful financial resources from government agencies for the purchase of agricultural easements.

Our track record is good, we have leveraged more than $18 in public funds for every $1 we've raised privately.

For each farm that is preserved, a community is preserved.

You may know some of the farms preserved forever. Such farms include Waldingfield
Farm in Washington, Dicks Farm of Southbury, Logue Farms of Watertown, Osuch
Farm of Watertown/Bethlehem, Farnham Farm of Morris, Kuss Farm of Bethlehem,
Phillips and Lovdal Farm in Southbury, Johnson Farm in Washington, and
Gustafson Farm in Watertown.

SPOTLIGHT ON WALDINGFIELD FARM OF WASHINGTON

For many families, the idea
of conserving their land is like a seed – it takes many years to mature. "We
believe agriculture is a way of life; it is not easy, but three of our children
have chosen that life," John Horan remarked. John and Damaris Horan are
the parents of Patrick and Quincy Horan, owners and operators of Waldingfield
Farm in Washington, Connecticut.

In 2019, the Horans decided to begin the preservation
process for their 78 acres of farmland. They were driven both by a desire to
invest in their children’s passions and to conserve the natural beauty in
Washington. “The farms, they are vanishing. Actually digging and working the
land is rare,” John added, emphasizing the importance of their decision.
"We don't want to see houses back there where the vegetables are,"
Damaris concurred, gesturing out the window toward the fields.

Land preservation is a complex and often lengthy process.
“Connecticut Farmland Trust’s role was to help John and Damaris navigate two
complex government processes,” explained Elisabeth Moore, Connecticut Farmland
Trust’s (CFT) Executive Director. John admitted that at times the
progress of the preservation project was unclear. However, he expressed
gratitude for CFT’s assistance, "CFT was the only organization that
could hold my hand with some authority and give me confidence it would
happen." 

After four years, 78 acres of Waldingfield Farm were finally
preserved in October of 2023. Read the full story at this link to our website.