Size

PUBLIC ACCESS

54.5 acres (~16 acres of open field and ~38.5 acres of forest)

The public is welcome to visit the 1-mile-long loop trail through a field and into the woods adjacent to the restaurant.

Conservation Purposes

Agriculture, floodplain protection, wildlife habitat, and scenic views.

Partnership

DESCRIPTION & history

CCLT is grateful for our partnership on this project with Maine Farmland Trust, a statewide organization that protects farmland, supports farmers, and advances the future of farming. MFT provided a large portion of the funding to purchase the easement and CCLT provided the balance of the cost. The landowner generously agreed to sell to MFT and CCLT at 75% of the appraised value (a donation valued at $179,500).

This property has been a farm for at least the past 150 years. The farmhouse onsite was built in 1870 and was owned by E. Merrill. The Villacci Family purchased the land from Peter Hansen and Sally Merrill and lived on the farm for over 50 years. The fields have been hayed in recent years by local farmers. The Villacci’s sold the farm to Alex Timpson in 2021.

The property’s active farm fields, which have been hayed for many years, are leased by the landowner to a farmer for the production of vegetables that are sold at a farm stand and to the on-site restaurant.

In addition to a variety of wetland types, including streams and forested wetlands, the property includes over 2,200 feet of frontage along the East Branch of the Piscataqua River and an associated 6-acre floodplain with many species adapted to grow in occasionally flooded areas like American elm, green ash, and red osier dogwood. At least three areas within the floodplain have been identified as potential vernal pools and will be evaluated in the spring during amphibian breeding season.

The forested portions of the property provide excellent wildlife habitat and contain a healthy, mixed-age forest that provides protective buffering to benefit the water quality of the streams and East Branch of the Piscataqua River.

The Town of Cumberland estimates 3,000-4,000 cars pass this property every day along Route 9. The scenic views of the fields and forest of this property will be ensured in perpetuity with the protection of this land.