Strawberry Fields

ForeverHelp Save Thompson-Finch Farm

Questions? Columbia Land Conservancy49 Main StreetChatham, NY 12037518.392.5252info@clctrust.orgclctrust.org

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/thom

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farm

.

In the heart of Ancram lies a beautiful 200-acre organic farm known as the Th ompson-Finch Farm, a Centennial Farm in operation since 1859.

Th ompson-Finch Farm is a signature farm, with one of the largest and oldest organic you-pick strawberry operations in the northeast. Th e farm balances productivity with environmental stewardship. Th e management techniques utilized on the farm have protected the Roeliff -Jansen Kill, wetlands, and other important habitats from harm.

However, the future of Th ompson-Finch Farm is at stake. Although the farmers have temporarily secured the property with a loan from Equity Trust, the farm is at a crucial moment when it will either be permanently protected as an agricultural resource or sold.

Financial support from individuals like you is critical to help us save Th ompson-Finch Farm. Th e Columbia Land Conservancy, Equity Trust, and the farmers have joined together to ensure that the property will remain a farm forever. Scenic Hudson Land Trust and Dutchess Land Conservancy are also project partners.

EQUITY TRUST

Project PartnersEquity Trust, Inc.PO Box 746Amherst, MA 01004-0746413.256.6161administration@equitytrust.orgequitytrust.org

Th ompson-Finch Farm750 Wiltsie Bridge RoadAncram, NY 12502 518.329.7578thompsonfi nch.com

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“It is a rare moment when what you absolutely must do out of necessity turns out to also be the best thing and the thing you truly want to do. Faced with the certainty that the land we had been farming for over three decades would be sold, we turned to the Columbia Land Conservancy and Equity Trust in search of a way of saving the farm from sale and development. We have worked together to create a dynamic plan that does much more than save the farm for us. We can keep the farm affordable for generations of future farmers and preserve that which so many have come to love. A place of food, beauty, friendship, and sanctuary.” - Don and Marnie MacLean, Thompson - Finch Farm

The Thompson-Finch Farm Collaborative has devised an approach to ensure the farm’s future. The land will be owned by the Columbia Land Conservancy, a nationally-recognized land trust, while the farmers continue to operate the farm. This model will:

• Protect a farm that serves as a model for successfully balancing productive agriculture with protection of the environment;

• Provide long-term security and continued ownership of farm infrastructure by the farmers and encourage expansion of their farm business;

• Allow for the successful transition of the farm to a new generation of farmers;

• Provide for a public trail and educational programs and events;

• Make use of an innovative approach to farmland preservation that will ensure the land will remain in agriculture forever and could serve as a model for future farmland conservation projects; and

Ensure you can continue to enjoy delicious strawberries

for years to come!

Every little bit helps. Your contribution is a critical part of

a community-based campaign to protect this

special place.

Grants , $300,000

Partners, $500,000

Community Support, $700,000

Our Fundraising GoalsTotal Goal: $1.5MRaised to Date: $0.5M