Location
The Farm at LongWoods Preserve project is located on Route 9 (Longwoods Road) in Cumberland approximately two miles south of the main intersection in Cumberland Center (2.5 miles north of the Route 9 rotary in Falmouth).
DATE PROTECTED
May 2022
landOWNER
Privately owned (CCLT Easement)
Synergosity LLC (Alex Timpson), the landowner, intends to create LongWoods Preserve, a business that may include a pub-style restaurant, acoustic music, occasional events, sculpture, and more. The business will be located in the area of the property that will be excluded from the area protected by the conservation easement.
Size
MAPS
54.5 acres (~16 acres of open field and ~38.5 acres of forest)
CLICK HERE for property maps of the property to be conserved.
Conservation Purposes
Agriculture: The property’s active farm fields, which have been hayed for many years, will be leased by the landowner to a farmer for the production of vegetables that will be sold at a farm stand and to the new restaurant; a large block of intact, upland forest;
Floodplain: 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.
Forest: 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 landowner plans to improve the existing trail system and provide publicly accessible trails.
Viewshed: 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.
These conservation values will be permanently protected by a conservation easement that the landowner generously agreed to sell to MFT and CCLT at 75% of the appraised value (a donation valued at $179,500).
Partnership
Property history
CCLT is very grateful for our partnership on this project with Maine Farmland Trust, a strong, 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.
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.
