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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2010

CONTACT:

Clem Clay, The Trust for Public Land, 413-253-6686, Clem.Clay@tpl.org

Wayne Feiden, City of Northampton, 413-587-1265, wfeiden@northamptonma.gov

Lilly Lombard, Grow Food Northampton, 413-584-0081,info@growfoodnorthampton.com

Allard, Bean Farms Conserved

The Trust for Public Land purchases farms; City and State take ownership;

Grow Food Northampton continues fundraising to own and manage portionof farms

NORTHAMPTON, MASS. (Dec. 13) The Trust for Public Land announced thesuccessful purchase and permanent protection of two farm properties along the MillRiver in the Florence section of Northampton, Mass., concluding more than a year of

efforts to conserve the Allard and Bean properties and clearing a path to a final setof transactions in early 2011.

In a series of real estate transactions on December 1 and December 13, The Trustfor Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, partnered with local andstate governments to achieve permanent protection of 181 acres in the Florencesection of Northampton. TPL purchased the 44-acre Bean Farm and the 136-acreAllard Farm, sold 35 acres of floodplain forest for a new greenway and 24 acres onMeadow Street for new recreation fields to the City of Northampton, and conveyedan Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) on the remaining 121 acres so thatthey will remain farmland forever.

"This is a remarkable win-win-win for the City of Northampton to protect andenhance outstanding agricultural, recreational, and environmental benefits, and tohelp farmers produce food locally for our citizens," said Clem Clay, TPL'sConnecticut River program director. "TPL is proud to have played our part inconserving this Connecticut River valley gem and we thank the City of

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Northampton, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Bean and Goulet families,and the engaged citizenry whose persistence is paying off in the fulfillment of anambitious vision."

The conservation of the two farms stems from a 2009 City-brokered agreement to

purchase the Bean Farm at a price of $910,000 for recreational and/or agriculturalconservation. The Bean Farm Task Force was created to resolve heated localdebates over the optimal use of that farm for public benefit. It was expanded andrenamed the Bean-Allard Farm Task Force after TPL negotiated a purchaseagreement with the Goulet family in January, also making the abutting 136-acreAllard Farm available for conservation at a price of $1,550,000. The conveyancesreflect a widely supported compromise to balance continued local farming withexpanded recreational fields and protection of important ecological resources.

Ten percent of the funding for the $1,135,000 APR came from the Northampton'sCommunity Preservation Committee, and the remainder was secured from the

Agricultural Preservation Restriction program of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. MDAR expects half of the APR investment to be reimbursedby the federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program through a cooperativeagreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural ResourcesConservation Service.

"Under the leadership of Governor Patrick, Massachusetts has preserved more than72,000 acres as farmland, parks, and wildlife habitat," said Energy andEnvironmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. "This achievement was made possiblein partnership with local officials, community groups and land trusts like The Trustfor Public Land, who work with us each day to preserve open space and protect ournatural resources for future generations."

"State investments in the permanent protection of agricultural land preserves ourworking landscapes and the farm businesses that generate $500 million in salesannually," said Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares."We are proud to be a strong partner with The Trust for Public Land, Grow FoodNorthampton and the city of Northampton, and applaud their commitment to thisproject."

The city's proposed Florence Fields-the athletic fields complex, including five multi-sport fields and two baseball diamonds-would be adjacent to protected farmland onthe north side of Meadow Street. Funding to acquire the recreation land came fromNorthampton's Community Preservation Committee and a grant from theMassachusetts Division of Conservation Services that also funds a detailed design of the ball field complex.

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The final piece of the puzzle is the acquisition for the Northampton ConservationCommission of all of the forested land along the Mill River, funded entirely by theNorthampton Community Preservation Committee. This land adds to the Mill RiverGreenway, which consists of a number of parcels along the Mill River from Leeds toArcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, including two parcels donated by the Bean family last

spring as part of their commitments to the City. The public will enjoy access toriverside trails and fishing, and may access the greenway from the Florence Fieldscomplex, thanks to a public right of way across a thin strip of the farmland.

"This collaborative effort adds one mile to the Mill River Greenway, protects thelargest remaining unprotected farmland outside of the meadows, adds desperatelyneeded recreation opportunities at Florence Fields, and provides additionalcommunity gardens. In terms of meeting agriculture, open space and recreationneeds, it doesn't get any better than this," said Wayne Feiden, Northampton'sDirector of Planning and Development.

This series of transactions leaves TPL holding only the APR-protected farmland,which it must sell to a farmer or farming organization. In September, TPL signed asale agreement with the local non-profit Grow Food Northampton (GFN) to purchaseup to all four of the assessor's parcels that make up the 121-acre APR. GFN's plan isto lease the land to organic farmers and gardeners who will grow food for localconsumption. GFN has raised $565,000 in pledges, grants, and donations, out of atotal campaign budget of $670,500, leaving it well positioned to purchase at leastthree parcels, and with strong potential to purchase all four parcels at a cost of $585,000. Until December 31st, all donations to Grow Food Northampton up to$10,000 will be matched 2:1 by Easthampton Savings Bank and an anonymousindividual.

"A year ago, we couldn't have imagined a better outcome for this land," said LillyLombard of Grow Food Northampton. "I am honored to have worked with so manydedicated individuals and agencies in the preservation of this precious resource."

The lands have roots in history too. Sojourner Truth, then a member of the localNorthampton Association of Education and Industry, farmed the land in the 19thcentury. The City is planning to install interpretive signs and considering nominatingthe property to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated toconserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas. Since itsfounding in 1972, TPL has helped to protect more than 2.8 million acres nationwide,including nearly 13,000 acres in Massachusetts. TPL depends on the support andgenerosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve its land for peoplemission. Learn more: tpl.org/massachusetts

The City of Northampton's open space objectives, identified in its Open Space,Recreation and MultiUse Trail Plan, include permanently preserving prime farmland

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and a viable farming economy, preserving a greenway along the Mill River fromLeeds to Downtown Northampton, meeting the recreation needs of the community,and preserving sensitive land from inappropriate development that will damage theenvironment and Northampton's tax base. Visit www.NorthamptonMA.gov/opd/

Grow Food Northampton's mission is to promote food security by advancingsustainable agriculture in the Northampton, Massachusetts area. Learn more aboutthe Northampton Community Farm: growfoodnorthampton.com