- Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
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Phu Mai, Director of Communications
Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration is announcing more than $7.4 million in Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) funding to preserve land at three Massachusetts dairy farms: Pine Island Farm and Balsam Hill Farm, both in Sheffield, and Herrick Farm in Rowley. This investment guarantees that almost 600 acres of working farmland will remain in agricultural production forever. Two of these dairies represent the largest whole farm acquisitions in recent history of the APR program. Administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), the APR program purchases agricultural restrictions on farmland in order to improve farmland access, strengthen food security, and protect environmental resources.
“The Agricultural Preservation Restriction program plays a key role in keeping farmland in active use. Thanks to this program, nearly 1,000 farms – spanning over 75,000 acres – remain productive, growing food, supporting rural economies, and sustaining farming traditions that go back generations,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “As land prices rise, it becomes harder for farmers to compete. That is why this program matters. We are proud to have recently protected several historic dairy farms. These properties have long served their communities and remain vital to the state’s farming future.”
For nearly 50 years, the APR program has preserved Massachusetts farmland by partnering with local land trusts and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to pay farmers the difference between the "fair market value" and the "agricultural value" of their land. In exchange, a permanent deed restriction is applied to the land, preventing any future non-agricultural use of the property. The restriction also limits the resale value to its agricultural value, helping to keep the property affordable.
In December 2023, MDAR released a long-range strategic initiative to address farmland needs called the Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan. Chief among the tenets of the plan called for the significant expansion of protection among the Commonwealth’s remaining farmland including whole farms. “Whole farm” protection is a tool that gives the APR program the flexibility to protect infrastructure and natural resources that help keep the participating farm sustainable. The addition of Pine Island Farm and Herrick Farm, where the entire respective properties are now within the APR program, are a step towards fulfilling this goal of expanded farmland preservation.
“The acquisition of these three dairy farms, especially Pine Island Farm and Herrick Farm represent the largest commitment of funds towards a farm property in the history of the APR program,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “We make these investments because protecting farmland is one of the best ways to ensure that farms continue to contribute to the Commonwealth’s food security, culture, public health, and natural resources. Permanently protecting the land will also keep farms affordable and accessible for future generations of farmers.”
“It is vital to be able to provide 50% of the appraisal value of the farmland through the NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Agricultural Land Easements Program – ACEP ALE,” said USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services Assistant State Conservationist for Programs Rita Thibodeau. “The partnership between MDAR’s APR program and NRCS aims to achieve a balance with critical livestock production like Balsam Hill Farm and conservation efforts. ACEP-ALE is intended to protect agricultural land ensuring the long-term viability of farmland for continued agricultural production.
“These acquisitions by MDAR using the APR program, especially the acquisition of the Pine Island Farm Dairy in Sheffield, show a great commitment from the Commonwealth to western Massachusetts,” said State Senator Paul Mark (D – Beckett). “Not only will this financial commitment help to preserve the natural resources and natural beauty of our district, but it will help to further stabilize the food security of our region and our constituents from future changes.”
“Preserving working farmland is important for our environment, our economy, and our access to nutritious locally grown food,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “Herrick Farm is a prime example - this family-operated and iconic dairy farm protects open space, is one of only a few local milk producers, and maintains economic contributions to farming in Essex County. The Herrick family has made incredible sacrifices to keep the farm going, and they are now receiving important state support.”
“I’m proud to see Pine Island Farm and Balsam Hill—two pillar dairy operations in Sheffield—receive Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) funding,” said State Representative Leigh Davis (D – Great Barrington). “These multi-generational farms are essential to Berkshire County’s agricultural identity, economy, and workforce. Protecting the land they’ve worked for decades safeguards local jobs, supports food production, and strengthens the Commonwealth’s farmland resilience. This is what meaningful investment in Massachusetts agriculture looks like.”
“Continuously operating since 1940 and offering fresh milk, eggs and produce, Herrick Dairy Farm is a prominent and well-loved business in the region" said State Representative Kristin Kassner (D - Hamilton). "The impressive collaboration between the Herrick family, Essex County Greenbelt and MDAR will preserve agricultural traditions and independent local farming for generations to come."
“Greenbelt is proud to have played a part in the permanent protection of Herrick Farm, ensuring that it will remain working agricultural land and continue to produce fresh, locally grown food for generations to come,” said Essex County Greenbelt Association President Chris LaPointe. “We congratulate and thank the Herrick family — longtime stewards of this land — for their foresight and commitment, and for setting an inspiring example for farmland owners across the state.”
"Herrick Farm has been in the family for over 300 years and we are so happy to know that it will stay in agriculture for future generations,” said Trustee of Herrick Farm Kathleen Herrick. “We are thankful for the support of MDAR, Essex County Greenbelt and LandVest for all their help with the process."
“The APR program has allowed me to live my dream of farming land that I own,” said Balsam Hill Farm owner Morven Allen. ‘The state has done a phenomenal job protecting great farmland around Sheffield and the key is that the land remains affordable for farmers. I’m the biggest advocate of the APR program that there is.”
“The Cooper Hill Conservation Alliance is thrilled to have been able to work together with MDAR, Mr. Boyett, Elise Harney Real Estate, NBT Bank and all those who donated to help protect the former Cooper Hill Farm (now named Pine Island Farm) through the APR Program,” said Sheffield Land Trust Executive Director Kathy Orlando. “This whole-farm protection project conserves almost equal amounts of agricultural and ecological land, ensuring that the land will be part of our local food system for all generations to come and that the crucial wildlife corridors, rare species and water quality supported by the farm’s non-crop land is also secure. The Cooper Hill Conservation Alliance is made up of eight conservation organizations in Massachusetts and Connecticut including the Housatonic Valley Association, Mass Audubon, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, Salisbury Association Land Trust, Sheffield Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy in both MA and CT, and The Trustees of Reservations.”
The following are the three dairies that are now under the APR program:
Pine Island Farm – Sheffield, MA: Purchase Price $4,075,000
Pine Island Farm is a multi-generational dairy with 15 full-time employees that milks the largest number of animals in the state. This 443-acre property was leased by Pine Island Dairy Farm for over 20 years, becoming a critical part of the farm business. The land is used to grow feed for the farm’s 1,500+ head of dairy cattle, which produce an annual average of 20 million pounds of milk. APR funds, combined with local funding support and an EEA Landscape Partnership Grant, allowed the farm to acquire the land in 2024 . The conservation of the entire farm was completed as part of the larger Cooper Hill Conservation Project being led by the Sheffield Land Trust, The Trustees of Reservations, and the Housatonic Valley Association in Connecticut.
Herrick Farm Trust – Rowley, MA: Purchase Price $3,350,000
Herrick Farm is a multi-generational farm that has operated in Rowley since the early 1700s, starting out as a sawmill and timber operation. This 137-acre property, one of the oldest farms in Essex County, is a diversified operation, producing and selling milk, corn, vegetables, eggs, beef and lumber. APR funding, combined with local funding support from the Essex County Greenbelt Association, allowed the Herrick’s to realize their long-term goal of protecting the entirety of the land for future generations.
Balsam Hill Farm – Sheffield, MA: Purchase Price $58,500
Balsam Hill Farm is a multi-generational dairy farm that has operated in Sheffield for over 35 years. The 14-acre parcel was purchased with APR and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) funding through its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and is used to produce corn sileage for the farm’s more than 500 cows. The farm leased this property for 19 years before acquiring it with assistance from APR and NRCS funding.
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