“Farmland is more than just the value of the land, more than just the value of the products made on that land… it is a place for all of us to be part of an ecological community where clean water flows, and soils grow productive plants, and native birds sing from the edges of pastures, and cropland holds the promise of a hearty meal.”
- Katie Pindell, Sage Farm Goat Dairy
As we approach the project's target closing date, we are happy to report our Community Campaign to conserve the Ricketson Farm is nearly complete! Thank you to everyone who has supported the project thus far, through individual donations, writing letters to the town Selectboard, sharing news of the project with your friends and family, and more. Your efforts have shown the incredible work a dedicated conservation community can accomplish in a short time!
For the next month, our focus will be on rallying support for our request for capital funding from the town of Stowe. Securing this final $200,000 is key to realizing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect the Ricketson Farm and its agricultural potential forever. Stowe Land Trust has been working with the Town of Stowe for more than 34 years to conserve productive farm and forestland for the benefit of our community, and we're excited to add the Ricketson Farm to the list of shared accomplishments. Inclusion of our request in the 2023 municipal capital budget represents a collective investment in preserving open space and Stowe's rural character, identified as a long-standing priority in Stowe’s Town Plan. Expenses in the capital budget are funded with revenue from Stowe’s 1% local options tax on rooms, meals, and alcohol so the Town can make important investments in keeping Stowe a beautiful and healthy place to live and visit from planning to bridge repairs to land conservation.
In the weeks leading up to Town Meeting Day on March 1st, we will share highlights from an incredible group of letters written in support of the project and other stories of support. We encourage you to continue talking about the importance of the project with your neighbors and friends. And if you are a Stowe resident, we hope you’ll attend Town Meeting, vote to pass the capital budget, and voice your support for funding the Ricketson Farm conservation effort.
Conserving the Ricketson Farm means protecting some of our town's best remaining agricultural soils along with important wildlife habitat, and will contribute vital stormwater management capacity. It is a project that will benefit all residents of Stowe, both today and in the future, and we look forward to securing the town support we need to complete the project. Thank you again for your support—let's continue to work together to conserve the Ricketson Farm!