Maine's 1.2+ million acres of farmland (the most of any New England state) anchor our local and regional food system - but farmland is a finite resource, and protecting it is key to ensuring farmers have the land they need to farm now and into the future. Conservation easements keep farmland available by permanently protecting working farmland from non-agricultural development, even after it changes hands. While easements are the primary tool we use at MFT, farmland protection can be achieved in other valuable ways, such as through farm succession planning, farm business support, and working with indigenous communities to return land to their stewardship (learn more in this recent publication featuring our partnership wtih Niweskok).
Thanks to the farmers and landowners who are passionate and committed to the future of farmland, partnering land trusts and the Land for Maine's Future program, and our community of supporters, in 2025 we protected 11 farm properties and a total of 1,722 acres of farmland for agricultural use well into the future, spanning 7 of the 16 counties.
Here are the farmland protection projects we celebrated in 2025 by county, with a series of photos at the end:
Androscoggin County
Chipman Farm, Poland
119 acres protected
Mary and Ellsworth Chipman wished for the farm to be protected and after their passing their son Ron Chipman worked to fulfill that wish by completing an easement on the land. The farm has been in continuous operation since 1781, and currently Ron harvests hay and another nearby farmer grazes cattle on the land. The 1-acre apple orchard and blueberry field are managed by Ron’s brother, Doug, who has his own farm and operates four Chipman Farm Stands in surrounding towns.
Cumberland County
Frost Meadow Farm, Gorham
50 acres protected
Owners Jackie and Steven Matthews purchased ~20 acres of the historic farm and nearby fields in 2023, right on the highly-trafficked Gorham bypass. The funds from the conservation easement helped facilitate their purchase of an additional 30 acres of adjacent fields that were slated for a subdivision. With the additional parcel returning the farm back closer to its historic size, Jackie and Steven plan to develop a small, diversified farming operation while continuing to lease a portion of the fields to a local farmer for hay production.
Flying Goat Farm and Merribrook Farm, New Gloucester
231 acres protected
Home to both Flying Goat Farm and Merribrook Farm, this piece of farmland is used for raising goats, a farmstead cheese and ice cream operation, growing microgreens, and several other ventures. Co-owners Devin and Cara (of Flying Goat), and Morgan and Riley (of Merribrook) have been farming the land since 2019, after purchasing the land from MFT through a Buy/Protect/Sell project, making their produce and products accessible to the neighboring community through their on-site farmstand and beyond.
Franklin County
Andrews Farm, Phillips
139 acres protected
Thomas and Emma Jane Andrews had been in talks with MFT staff about their interest in conserving this land over the course of the last couple of years. The farmland property spans 139 acres, with approximately 12 acres of open fields and 24 acres of agricultural soils. For almost 50 years, the Andrewses have farmed this property, primarily raising beef cattle, growing vegetables, and producing hay. Since winding down their beef and vegetable production, they still continue to hay the fields along with the help of their son.
Kennebec County
Hart to Hart Farm, Albion
245 acres protected
Farmers Doug and Linda Hartkopf run an organic dairy and a well-loved farm camp and agricultural education program in the hills around Fifteen Mile Stream in the historic heart of Maine's commercial dairy industry. Throughout the easement process, the Hartkopfs faced a number of hurdles along the way, including the loss of their dairy barn roof during a bad winter storm, but they remained dedicated to the future of their farmland. They took the opportunity to design and build new multi-use ag infrastructure, allowing for more flexibility in agricultural production for themselves and future farmers. And the 95-acre home farm and two additional large parcels of land protected by the easement could support up to three farm operations in the future.
Knox County
Halledge Farm, Windham
186 acres protected
A project many years in the making, we protected Halledge Farm with support from the Land for Maine's Future program. Until recently, this farm was one of the last remaining dairy farms in greater Portland, which originated in 1941 by grandparents Stanley & Mary Hall. Their granddaughter Stacey and her husband, along with her sister Kim, took over the farm upon the passing of her father, Russell Hall. They are the fourth generation to farm the land. This past spring, they made the decision to transition out of the dairy business and are currently raising dairy calves and are building out a beef herd as they figure out the next iteration of the farm.
Hope's Edge Farm, Hope
100 acres protected
We partnered with Georges River Land Trust to contribute toward their purchase of an easement, with support from the Land for Maine’s Future program. Revitalized as a working farm in 2002, when landowner Holly Miller invited farmer Tom Griffin to lease the land, both Miller and Griffin hoped to see the thriving vegetable operation continue as Griffin neared retirement. In addition to the years-long efforts to secure the farm’s future with the easement, the two found a pair of eager young farmers through MFT’s FarmLink service. Philip Prevosto and Carmen Major have taken over the lease, and recently wrapped their first full season.
Hope Orchards, Hope
45 acres protected
The easement at Hope Orchards, with support from Coastal Mountains Land Trust, fulfills the dream of longtime owner-operators Brien and Emily Davis to ensure that the farm be well stewarded and remain in agriculture, while making it more affordable for a new generation of farmers. Young farmers Anna and Kyle Rittenburg are under contract to purchase the farm from the Davises at its appraised agricultural value. The Rittenburgs have leased a portion of the land for several years as they established their vegetable farm, AK Produce. They plan to expand their offerings and envision a year-round farm operation, which will continue to include apple picking in the autumn.
Waldo County
Ward Farm, Thorndike
415 acres protected
With support from the Land for Maine's Future program, we protected Ward Farm with an easement. For decades, farmer Larry Ward operated a dairy on the farm, which includes 103 acres of open land and 306 acres of forested land. A few years ago, Larry retired from the dairy business, focusing on hay production and leasing some of the fields to neighbors Jim Buckle and Hannah Hamilton of the Buckle Farm, an organic vegetable operation. Larry has continued to be deeply invested in the growth and future of local agriculture, and in keeping with those values, intends to bequeath the farm to Jim and Hannah in order to ensure the farm remains in active agriculture.
York County
Kashmer Farm, Eliot
126 acres protected
MFT, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and Great Works Regional Land Trust came together to protect Kashmer Farm. Farmland in this densely-populated part of York county is especially vulnerable to development, and this 126-acre farm has been a small scale dairy for almost 200 years. And with 6,200+ feet of frontage on the York River plus another 1,800 feet on its tributaries, the land also provides ecologically valuable saltmarsh habitat that can accommodate future upstream migration as sea level rise continues.
Cranberry Meadows Farm, Alfred
65 acres protected
Protecting Cranberry Meadows Farm helped owner Curt Moulton to fulfill a longtime wish of his father and grandfather for the farm to remain undivided forever. The property hosts an old farmhouse, barn, and chicken coop and contains 24 acres of open fields, 30 acres of forest, and 8 acres of floodplain wetland along the beautiful Littlefield River. The majority of the fields are hayed by nearby Brook Ridge Organic Dairy Farm and a small portion is used occasionally for grazing cows. Curt also manages a small flock of chickens and maintains a large garden on the farm.
Many more seeds for future farmland protection projects were planted in 2025, which we are excited to see come to fruition in 2026 and beyond. We look forward to celebrating them with you as we look ahead to the work already underway early this year.
If you’re interested in learning more about the easement process or are a farmer looking to put an easement on your property, click here.
Or if you are looking for alternative routes for accessing farmland and other farming opportunities, check out our linking service Maine FarmLink.
