The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) protected 406 acres of scenic farmland in the town of Milo, Yates County, with a perpetual conservation easement. The farm is owned by Robert and Kay Henderson and operated by Robert and his son, Matthew Henderson, who grow a variety of crops including corn, wheat, soybeans, and clover.

The property, which contains some of the most productive farmland in the Finger Lakes region, is located along New York State Route 14A in an area of increasing commercial development. The easement will protect nearly 400 acres of farmland from development as well as small wetlands and seasonal streams on the property. The Henderson family is actively working with Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District to implement practices to improve their soil and reduce erosion on the farm.

Photo: Bill Hecht

The Henderson farm is adjacent to two private properties protected by existing easements held by the FLLT, located just south of Penn Yan. Together, this conserved block of farmland now exceeds 1,100 acres.

Funds for the project came from the state’s Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program (FPIG), administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The FPIG program is designed to keep agricultural land in production, ensure the long-term viability of New York’s farming operations, and strengthen New York’s agricultural industry.

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting.