Just in Time for Valentine's Day: A Matchmaker for Farms, Farmers


NORTH CANAAN — Preserving open space is a much-touted concept across Connecticut. Around here, an ideal is to preserve an area’s rural beauty, but there’s one group that thinks that goal is not quite good enough. Agriculturalists, from state agencies to local farmers, say the goal needs to be the preservation of farmland, not just open space.

"Most of the land that the development rights are being sold on is farmland," said Bob Jacquier, a retired North Canaan dairy farmer. "We need to preserve not just land, but our farms."

Jacquier is one of the lucky ones. His Laurelbrook Farm in the East Canaan section of North Canaan is the largest dairy farm in the state and is in its third generation of family ownership.

Through organized cooperative efforts with other area farmers, he sees a thriving future.

But what of the farmers who are not so lucky? Their children see them struggle to make a living. They may develop the same love for the profession, but few will take it on.

"It’s one of the hardest jobs there is. It’s there every hour of every day. It’s not a job you go home from," Jacquier said. "You have to love it to stay with it."

Enter the "matchmaker," a new Web site (the Connecticut FarmLink Program, at farmlink.uconn.edu) that seeks to link land with new farmers, farmers with partners, or any of a number of other scenarios.

Sponsored by the state Department of Agriculture, the site’s goal is to stem the tide of the 7,000 acres of farmland that disappear each year. In the last two decades, nearly a quarter of Connecticut’s farmland has been lost, some of it to conservation but most of it to development.

Applicants at Connecticut FarmLink send in a description of what they have to offer, either in the way of a farming opportunity or the desire and ability to farm. Case numbers are assigned so identities are protected. Interested parties initially contact each other through the site.

Since the site went up at the end of December, FarmLink’s Jane Slupecki has fielded two to three calls per day from both farmers and would-be farmers.

She likes being viewed as a matchmaker.

It’s appropriate, since she does not negotiate with either side. She simply brings the different parties together and hopes for the best.

"I’ve been pleasantly surprised because I have not done much of a public relations push yet," Slupecki said. "I’ve been getting interest from all over the state and places like Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts."

The site also offers links to financing sources, including the Farm Credit Bureau and grant programs.

"We see this as farmland preservation, not just land preservation," Slupecki said. "Farmland owners may think their only option to preserve the land is to give up development rights, but that might not be the case."

The Connecticut Farmland Trust’s Web site features a photo of Canaan Valley’s Hollow Brook Farm, preserved in 2004, on its home page.

It notes that Connecticut farmers contribute $2 billion annually to the economy. At the same time, they require fewer public services (schools, roads) than residential developments. The message: Farms remain a desirable option for towns to support.

The Farmland Trust site directs visitors to CT FarmLink and calls it an "important and long-awaited tool to help all landowners (including towns and land trusts) to find farmers, and vice versa."

Jacquier applauded the concept of FarmLnik. He sees, however, a possible glitch in that existing farms are often land poor. It could complicate deals cultivated at the Web site.

"We own very little land," he said of Laurelbrook. "We rent close to 2,500 acres for our feed crop. It’s the horse farms in Sharon and Lakeville and Millerton that own the big pieces of land, and they only use about half of it. Some are leasing land to dairy farmers."

Jacquier also wondered if anyone still wants to get into the dairy business. He suggests the trend, should farming survive, will be away from the unprofitable small dairy farm.

The six farmers and five would-be farmers currently listed on the Web site uphold the theory. Those seeking to farm all note experience in the field, so to speak. Three are interested in crops, specifically organically grown.

One couple, Vermont farmers with a young family and financing, are looking for a small farm here that is a mixture of woodland and pasture land. They are not specific about what they will produce.

Another family describes a life of backyard farming and the dream of owning a "real" farm. The two children in the family have developed a desire to farm through involvement with 4H and FFA.

One individual describes his (or her, the person’s identity is not revealed) dream of running a therapeutic riding program that brings special-needs people and horses together.

Farmers are looking for anyone from a partner to a buyer. They describe land farmed by the same family for the last century, homesteads and management opportunities. There is diversity in the offerings, although there aren’t many dairy farms at this point.

A farmer looking for a partner describes a primary interest in horses, but notes acreage is also available for organic farming. An organic crop farmer is looking for someone to run the farm for a cropshare.

A Newington property owner is offering the profits to anyone who wants to harvest hay on farmland already in preservation.

The applicant notes other activities at the site, such as walking trails, birding and community gardens that must be respected.

If the site is to be effective, it seems the essential common ground in the matchmaking effort will be a passion for the land and animals. It is already an element in almost every entry.

One prospective buyer, who has farmed in the Ukraine and worked as a crop consultant for two companies, ends his bio with: "Love farming."

 

 

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