Update January 14, 2015: Conservation Easement Deed Signed! Thank you to all who love this place and donated to keep it beautiful and productive!
A Chance to Conserve a Key Piece of the Agricultural Landscape
At the corner of the Pomfret Road and Hewitt Hill Road in North Pomfret is a spectacularly scenic meadow, the last remaining remnant of a historic farm that once spread across the hills. This land is not simply a beautiful relic — it is also a key part of a thriving cheese-making business. Now there is an opportunity to conserve this community landmark and bring it into the ownership of the farmers who rely on it.
Chase Meadow has been leased for many years by John and Janine Putnam who run Thistle Hill Farm in North Pomfret and make award-winning cheese. Owners Lysle and Elaine Chase would like to sell the land, however with 2,100 feet of road frontage, the land is worth much more for development than for farming. The sale of a conservation easement will allow the owners to sell the land to the Putnams at its agricultural value. Grants from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service have been awarded. Members of the Pomfret Planning Board are helping to lead a community-wide effort to raise the $30,000 in matching funds needed to complete the project before year end. Read more here (project summary in printable pdf).
