The Finger Lakes Land Trust has secured 246 acres of farmland in Benton, Milo, and Torrey, ensuring the land will remain in agriculture for generations to come.
Funding came from New York’s Farmland Protection Implementation Program, which allowed the Land Trust to purchase three agricultural conservation easements covering separate parcels at Christiansen Farms. The family-run, third-generation dairy and crop operation is certified organic and sells milk to the Upstate-Niagara Cooperative, along with grains to Wegmans for its artisanal baked goods.
The protected land sits between Seneca and Keuka lakes, an area facing growing development pressure. One parcel, over 100 acres, borders forested wetlands that connect to the Keuka Lake Outlet. The agreement includes a forested buffer along that section and the popular Keuka Outlet Trail.
With this project, the Land Trust has now conserved more than 650 acres at Christiansen Farms and 2,281 acres countywide — over half of which is prime farmland.
Conservation easements keep land in private hands while restricting development, allowing continued farming, hunting, and other traditional uses.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].