New Conservation Easements in 2022
The Meadows
CPF completed an important project with Russ and Lisa Brownback to place conservation easements on both the 29-acre Meadows Estate on Rippleton Road as well as the 56-acre undeveloped property immediately to the south, recently purchased by the Brownbacks, and currently grazed by the eye-catching herd owned by Albanese Longhorns. This project is uniquely important in that it addresses all three of the major facets of CPF's mission. The project:
Prevents the potential for future sub-division and development of a historically significant property;
Protects agricultural lands important to the operations at the Meadows Farm, also protected by CPF;
Protects a large tract of natural habitat and wetland areas along Chittenango Creek;
Preserves the greenbelt at the southern gateway into the village of Cazenovia; and
Represents a critical linkage in a future large-scale trail connectivity project.
This project is a tremendous success for CPF and for Cazenovia because it maintains the historical site character of the entire Meadows Estate/Meadows Farm Complex in perpetuity and speaks to the community’s history of preservation.
As of December 2022, the 56-acre Meadows Field, owned until recently by descendants of the Lincklaen and Hubbard families, is protected in perpetuity. “Cazenovia’s unique character is the result of two centuries of responsible and thoughtful stewardship, a culture that was inspired and fostered to a significant degree by Mr. Lincklaen's descendants,” stated Russ Brownback. “All involved parties wanted to ensure once and for all that this iconic agrarian southern gateway to our historic village was preserved forever.”
Gianforte Farm
CPF added an additional 471 acres of important agricultural land into its conservation portfolio in December of 2022 through a purchase of development rights project with the Gianforte Farm. The project was funded through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Implementation Grant Program and will permanently conserve prime agricultural soils. The farm, headquartered on East Lake Road, grows a variety of organic grains that are sold wholesale or milled on-farm into products such as rolled oats and flour that are sold locally and along the east coast.
Agricultural Conservation Projects In Progress
CPF is currently working with several local farms to develop site plans and complete appraisals on nearly 1,700 acres of active agricultural land, in anticipation of another round of Farmland Protection Implementation Grant Funding expected to be announced later this spring by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
