On October 30, 2020, The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust closed on the purchase of the Messer Farm property in New London. The iconic property in the heart of New London, will now be protected from development, forever. This property includes 22 acres of fields, designated as “prime farmland of statewide importance” which are currently leased to neighboring Spring Ledge Farm. Ausbon Sargent will continue this lease and will encourage the continuance of responsible agricultural farming.

Greg Berger, owner of Spring Ledge Farm offered, “Protecting these Prime Agricultural soils is a huge win for the local food community. Combining these fields with the abutting fields at Spring Ledge Farm and the Moses Adams Farm create a critical mass of tillable soil within throwing distance of one another. This allows us to continue improving the soils with cover crops and crop rotations, which means we can grow food sustainably into the future. We are very grateful for all the community support and the hard work of ASLPT to see this project through to the finish line.”

The property also consists of 122 acres of forest, which include a vast network of recreational footpaths, as well as the headwaters of White Brook, which feeds into Pleasant Lake. The land trust will maintain and protect the woodlands and wetlands, streams and wildlife habitats that are present on the property.

Debbie Stanley, Executive Director of Ausbon Sargent shared “The overwhelming and widespread community support made all the difference in Ausbon Sargent acquiring title to the Jacob Messer Farm property. Land truly brings us together and benefits us all.”

The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust now protects 157 properties comprising 13,057 acres of land in the 12 towns it serves.