Ricketson Farm advocates raise funds to conserve property

Posted Saturday, April 2, 2022

— PressRicketson Farm

Photo by Rich Levine.

WCAX: Ricketson Farm advocates raise funds to conserve property

By Kevin Gaiss, published on April 2, 2022 on WCAX. Original link with video here.

STOWE, Vt. (WCAX) - The Ricketson Farm in Stowe has been saved.

Advocates have raised the $2.5 million to conserve the property. Back on Town Meeting Day, voters gave the OK for $200,000 of the town budget to go to the conservation effort.

A combination of federal, state, local and private contributions from over 400 people raised the rest.

Not much has changed on the farm yet, but hay will be planted there this year.

The Stowe Land Trust Executive Director Kristen Sharpless says that’s a good thing, and now it’s about sorting out how best to use the saved 217 acres.

“The soils are amazing. It is such a central spot with access to great markets and right on Route 100, so over the long-term there are so many possibilities for that land -- to produce food for the community, to provide great access to locally-grown and made products,” said Sharpless.

Sharpless says keeping farms and farming a part of Vermont’s landscapes takes everyone, and this effort is a great example of the power of community.