The Aquidneck Island Land Trust has purchased the development rights on 75 acres of farmland in Portsmouth, which otherwise could have been host to development, according to the land trust.
It took the land trust 18 months to secure the $3 million in grants needed to purchase the property from Louis Escobar, owner of Escobar’s Highland Farm. The 96-acre dairy farm produces milk used in Rhody Fresh, the popular brand brought to the local market by Escobar and a cooperative of Rhode Island dairy farmers last year.
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Purchasing the development rights permanently bars any building on the farmland, according to the land trust. The move is a popular tool used throughout the state to protect tracts of land targeted for development.
The number of dairy farms in Rhode Island has plummeted in recent decades. In some cases, low profit margins in farming have left farmers with few options than to develop their land or sell it.
The land trust said Escobar accepted significantly less money for the development rights than had been offered by competing developers.
The trust assembled the $3 million through four separate funding sources: the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service ($1.3 million); the town of Portsmouth ($750,000); the state of Rhode Island ($688,000); and The Champlin Foundations ($250,000). The Nature Conservancy secured the grant from The Champlin Foundations.
“The foresight and generosity of our partners has permitted a September closing which is well ahead of schedule pursuant to the terms of our option agreement with Louis Escobar,” said Ted Clement, executive director of the land trust, in a statement. “Once again, we are reminded that strong partnerships are fundamental to strong land conservation programs.”
According to the land trust, Escobar’s Highland Farm has been in the Escobar family since 1937. It has gained recent attention for producing milk used in Rhody Fresh, and for years has hosted an annual Independence Day fireworks display and an 8-acre corn maze. The farm is also known for its Christmas trees, pumpkin patches and hayrides.
The land trust, a nonprofit, said it has conserved more than 1,288 acres on Aquidneck Island since being founded in 1990.
