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Owners of Connecticut’s Largest Dairy Farm Preserve Land for Agriculture Use

Connecticut Public Radio | By The Associated Press
Published November 3, 2015 at 10:07 AM EST
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Oakridge Dairy in Ellington, Conn.
oakridgedairy.com
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Oakridge Dairy in Ellington, Conn.
oakridgedairy.com
The farm's 126 acres was considered particularly vulnerable to development.

Connecticut has added the largest dairy farm in the state to its farmland preservation program.

Oakridge Dairy in Ellington has conveyed the development rights to nearly 126 acres, banning use of the land for anything other than agriculture. The land is used to grow corn and hay to support the dairy's herd of about 4,000 cows.

Seth Bahler, general manager of Oakridge Dairy, said the family will stay in farming and wants to preserve as much farmland as possible.

The state is paying the Bahler family $1.1 million, with at least half reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Town of Ellington will pay $370,000 for the land.

The farm's 126 acres was considered particularly vulnerable to development because it is flat and clear and is in an area of significant home construction.
The Associated Press
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
See stories by The Associated Press

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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