The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has protected 406 acres of scenic farmland in the town of Milo, Yates County, with a perpetual conservation easement. The farm is owned by Robert and Kay Henderson and operated by Robert and his son, Matthew Henderson, who grow a variety of crops including corn, wheat, soybeans, and clover.
The property, which contains some of the most productive farmland in the Finger Lakes region, is located along New York State Route 14A in an area of increasing commercial development. The easement will protect nearly 400 acres of farmland from development as well as small wetlands and seasonal streams on the property. The Henderson family is actively working with Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District to implement practices to improve their soil and reduce erosion on the farm.
The Henderson farm is adjacent to two private properties protected by existing easements held by the FLLT, located just south of Penn Yan. Together, this conserved block of farmland now exceeds 1,100 acres.
Funds for the project came from the state’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program (FPIG), administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The FPIG program is designed to keep agricultural land in production, ensure the long-term viability of New York’s farming operations, and strengthen New York’s agricultural industry.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting.
By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected over 33,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of over 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.
The FLLT focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.
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