Ohhhh they’re so close. I mean soooooooo close. But they need your help!
Hi again folks. I’m gonna step up on my soapbox for a moment if I may. I want to get word out for something I feel is important to the community of Saratoga and for the beautiful horses that have blessed this town for seemingly forever.
I would love it, if you would take a moment to learn more about Van Arnum Farm Conservation Easement.
A friend of mine works at Saratoga P.L.A.N. and recently they were awarded a grant by <a” title=”Saratoga County, New York” href=”http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.11,-73.87&spn=1.0,1.0&q=43.11,-73.87%20%28Saratoga%20County%2C%20New%20York%29&t=h” rel=”geolocation”>Saratoga County to protect an 84-acre farm used for growing hay for an adjacent thoroughbred horse breeding operation in the town of Saratoga. The farm boasts high quality soils and is near other productive farms.
The farmland has been in the same family for 90 years. It is P.L.A.N. and the family’s shared goal that the property remain farmland and forestland for future generations. They are doing all they can to ensure that this farm will continue to produce timber, food for people and feed for animals.
Thanks to the foresight of Saratoga County and the generosity of the family, our county will reap the many benefits of this protected land: clean air and water, a habitat for wildlife, a scenic landscape, local food production, a land base for the equine industry, and reduced property tax burdens.
But they are in need of your help!
To accept the county grant to purchase the farm’s development rights, Saratoga P.L.A.N. is required to raise a match in private funding to make this project a reality. A portion of these funds will cover the ongoing responsibility of monitoring and enforcing a conservation easement on the property, ensuring that it will remain farmland and forest forever.
Here are some of the numbers:
Total Project Cost: $298,000.00
Grants and Private Funds Raised: $284,310.00
Amount Still Needed to Raise: $ 13,690.00
So who are these folks? What is Saratoga P.L.A.N.?
They are a not-for-profit land trust. P.L.A.N. has conserved over 3,303 acres of farmland, forests, natural habitats, trail corridors, historic places and water resources in Saratoga County. Saratoga P.L.A.N. helps communities make long-term decisions to sustain the Saratoga Region as a great place to live, work, and visit. For more information on Saratoga P.L.A.N., you can call them at 518-587-5554 or visit www.saratogaplan.org.
You can also find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/Saratogaplan
Thanks folks.
Thanks for reading through the article. For getting a closer look at all the wonderful work they’re doing and also for any consideration you can offer to help.
