The Sharon Land Trust is committed to preserving the agricultural heritage and natural beauty of our region. A key tool in preserving farmland for farmers is the use of agricultural conservation easements. These are legally binding agreements designed to prevent development and protect agricultural land for future generations.

In 1984, Sharon farmer Morris Paley wanted to ensure his fields would continue to be used for agriculture in perpetuity. Instead of selling his land to developers, he accepted a below-market payment from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg), to place an agricultural conservation easement on the 187+ acres of the Paley Farm. This easement contains specific restrictions, including limiting new construction to residences directly involved in farm operations. But earlier this year, the DoAg approved the building of a large private residence on the Paley Farm. We believe this approval— along with the prior approval of an even bigger private residence on the former Turkiewicz Farm in Sharon— goes directly against the terms of the easements. The state used hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars to pay for those easements to ensure that they would stay farmland forever. We believe that the DoAg has a duty to uphold these easements. Not doing so sets a worrying precedent that declares an open season for developers to buy other agricultural properties protected under similar easements. Farmers will be priced out of business as farmland goes to the highest-bidding real estate developers.

Articles published by The Lakeville Journal and The Register Citizen (linked below) detail the ongoing situation and its implications for farmland conservation in our state. We believe that we don’t just have a duty to safeguard the Paley Farm from development, but a duty to protect the integrity of all easement-protected properties in Connecticut.

We invite you to join our efforts. With your help, we can work to ensure that the legacy of farms and farming in Connecticut is preserved for future generations.

Recent Press

Aerial photos of the construction underway at the historic Paley Farm site
in Sharon, CT.

Your support is crucial in helping us preserve this important piece of our community's heritage

 

Here are some ways you can take action:

 
Sign and share our petition

Sign our petition to hold the CT Department of Agriculture accountable and ensure taxpayer-funded agricultural easements are enforced as intended. Please note: After signing the petition, you may be prompted to donate to “promote” it. Any contributions made go directly to Change.org for advertising the petition and do not go to Sharon Land Trust or support our efforts directly.  

Write, call or email the Connecticut Department of Agriculture

Express your support for the preservation of the historic Paley Farm and urge the Department of Agriculture to uphold the conservation easement on this property, as well as all the others.

Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
450 Columbus Blvd, Suite 701
Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: (860) 713-2501
Email: Bryan.hurlburt@ct.gov 

1949 photo of a farm in Sharon, CT

Image courtesy of the Sharon Historical Society & Museum,
Hutchinson Collection.

Read 1982 Articles about Morris Paley and protecting his farmland

Trust Acts to Save a Farm in Sharon
The New York Times, Feb. 14, 1982

State Effort to Save Farms Gains Strength
The New York Times, Oct. 24, 1982

Write, call or email Governor Ned Lamont, State Representative Maria Horn, and State Senator Stephen Harding

Ask them to advocate for the protection of Paley Farm, and to press the state Department of Agriculture to retract its approval of the proposed construction.

Governor Ned Lamont
Office of the Governor
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 566-4840
Email: https://portal.ct.gov/governor/contact/email-governor-lamont 

State Representative Maria Horn
Legislative Office Building, Room 3704
300 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
Phone: (860) 240-8585
Email: Maria.Horn@cga.ct.gov

State Senator Stephen Harding
Legislative Office Building, Room 3400
300 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 240-8800
Email: Stephen.Harding@cga.ct.gov

Spread the word.

Share information about the preservation of the Paley Farm and its importance with your friends, family, and neighbors, encouraging them to also get involved.

 

Thank you for your support.
Together, we can keep our corner of Connecticut farmer-friendly!

Sharon Mountain Farm by Artist George Baer

Believed to be an artistic rendition of the former Turkiewicz Farm.
Photo of painting courtesy of Doug Rick.

The Sharon Land Trust works to preserve the natural beauty, rural character, and environmental health of Sharon, CT, for future generations. Our conservation efforts protect vital habitats, scenic views, and agricultural lands.

Interested in learning more? Follow us on social media, look around this website or reach out to info@SharonLandTrust.org with questions. 

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