Fundraising Campaign Initiated to Save the Strong Farm Pastures

The fundraising campaign to save the Strong Farm pastures has been initiated! Six thousand letters have been sent to Vernon households asking for contributions. The fundraising goal is $110,000. The total cost of the project is $1.1M. The community volunteers who have been working on the project since 2014 have received 90% of the needed funds from state and federal grants. The remaining 10% needs to come from the community to show community support for the project. If you haven’t received a contribution letter and wish to donate, call Ann Letendre at 860-875-4623. Donations can be made on-line www.strongfamilyfarm.org . Checks can be sent to Strong Family Farm, Inc., PO Box 2253, Vernon Ct 06066. Donations are tax deductible.

The Town of Vernon kicked off the campaign with a contribution of $25,000 from the Town’s Open Space Fund. The volunteers also pleased to announce that a grant award from Bafflin Foundation was also received that will match every contribution by 50%, to a ceiling of $30,000. In addition, Northern CT Land Trust has contributed $10,000. The Vernon volunteers who helped make the project happen are Karl Hasel, Ann Letendre, Lisa Moody, Jon Roe, Nancy Strong, Mark Summers, and Hans Weiss.

The two pastures total 51 acres and are located in Vernon Center. An 18-acre pasture is on West Road, across from Garden Barn, and a 33-acre pasture is across from Vernon Middle School, between Hartford Turnpike and Cemetery Rd. This pasture is known as Meetinghouse Hill, and is the site of the first meetinghouse in Vernon. The pastures are the last remaining cropland acreage of this size in Vernon. Both pastures contribute to the pastoral landscape in Vernon Center, and both have scenic views of the City of Hartford. See attached painting by Hans Weiss of the view of Hartford from Meetinghouse Hill. Help us preserve this beautiful piece of Vernon!