Peconic Land Trust and Mattituck Farm Holdings Announce Sale of Additional Farmland in Cutchogue
May 31, 2024
Southampton, New York. Peconic Land Trust and Mattituck Farm Holdings, owned by the Bacon Family Trust, are pleased to announce the purchase of 41.78 acres of farmland at 7800 Oregon Road, Cutchogue, NY, by the Peconic Land Trust.
The property, located within the Oregon Road farmbelt, was acquired by the Trust from Mattituck Farm Holdings and is protected with Suffolk County Development Rights Easements. At the closing, held on May 15, 2024, the Trust simultaneously sold the parcel to a qualified farmer, Will Lee.
The project is part of the Trust’s Farms for the Future Initiative.
Today’s announcement follows on similar acquisitions and farmland resales to qualified farmers announced in January with The Bacon Family Trust / Mattituck Farm Holdings. The January announcement involved 151.93 acres that were conserved in perpetuity in by the Town of Southold with the assistance of the Peconic Land Trust. Collectively, these parcels are part of over 240 acres protected by the Bacon Family Trust / Mattituck Farm Holdings in this area.
It’s important to note that the prime, productive soils along Oregon Road were most likely first cultivated by indigenous people less than 1,000 years ago followed by the English and other European immigrants hundreds of years later. Polish farm families are known to have been farming there since the early 1900s.
“Once again we thank the Bacon Family Trust and the team at Mattituck Farm Holdings for putting their faith in us to ensure that this productive agricultural land will be accessible to farmers and in production for generations to come,” said John v.H. Halsey, President, Peconic Land Trust. “With today’s announcement, an additional 41.78 acres are in the ownership of a farmer – Will Lee – and we look forward to its productive future.”
This farmland was part of the original Request for Proposals (RFP) issued to farmers by the Trust in March 2023.
“This is a great opportunity for our family, which is about to embark on the 4thgeneration, to continue and expand our farm operation,” said Will Lee, the third generation of his family to farm and who is expecting his first child soon with partner Lucy Senesac. “Thank you to Dan and the team at the Trust and at Mattituck Farm Holdings. We look forward to many successful growing seasons.”
As part of the Trust’s Farms for the Future Initiative, this acquisition and resale covers multiple areas of the Trust’s program:
- Preservation of farmland
- Providing farmers and working farms with access to farmland
- Providing leasing opportunities to new farmers interested in expanding beyond the Trust’s “incubator” fields at its Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold.
About Farms for the Future Initiative
The Trust’s Farms for the Future Initiative exemplifies a Pillar of the Trust’s work related to Food, Farms, and Farmers and advances agricultural viability and access to healthy food. It includes farmland leases, incubator programs, and sales of protected farmland, some with additional restrictions designed to ensure that protected farmland remains accessible and affordable to farmers in the future. The majority of the lessees operate on protected farmland owned by the Trust either at our Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold or at the Deborah Light Preserve in Amagansett, also home of the Trust’s Quail Hill Farm.
Objectives of the Farms for the Future Initiative:
- Advance the viability of agriculture on Long Island,
- Ensure that conserved farmland is accessible and affordable to farmers,
- Promote the diversity of farming and farmers on Long Island,
- Create opportunities for farmers to start‐up and/or expand their agricultural operations,
- Support food production farming and access to healthy food.
To learn more about this program, please contact Dan Heston, Director of Agricultural Programs, at 631.734.5630 or DHeston@PeconicLandTrust.org.
About the Peconic Land Trust
On August 1, 2023, the Peconic Land Trust celebrated its 40thAnniversary. Founded in 1983, Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island’s working farms, natural lands, and heritage. Since its inception, the nonprofit Trust has worked conscientiously with landowners, communities, municipalities, partner organizations, and donors, to conserve 14,000 acres of land on Long Island. The Trust’s professional staff carries out the necessary research and planning to identify and implement alternatives to outright development. While working to conserve the productive farms, watersheds, woodlands, and beachfront of Long Island, the Trust is also protecting the unique rural heritage and natural resources of the region. For more information about the Peconic Land Trust, visit www.PeconicLandTrust.org.