Two Cranbury Farms Preserved by County

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Government
Two Cranbury Farms Preserved by County
In total, 2,600 acres on 33 farms in the township are now preserved.
By Christopher Sacco | Email the author | 2:00pm

Two Cranbury Township farms have entered the Middlesex County Farmland Preservation Program, the county has announced. Sallie Toscano’s 43-acre Rejay Farm and the Lum family’s 48-acre vegetable farm have joined 31 other Cranbury locations previously preserved by the county and township. All told, 2,600 acres of farmland have been preserved in Cranbury thus far.

The county’s program, which to date has preserved 67 farms, organizes the purchase of easements on the land it plans to preserve. Typically, the state pays 60 percent of this amount and the county and municipality contribute 20 percent each. Rejay Farm’s development easement cost approximately $1.3 million, while the permanent agricultural easement on the Lum property cost $898,000. Cranbury contributed $263,000 and $180,000, respectively.

Committeeman Dan Mulligan said he sees participation in the preservation program as not only environmentally sound, but also fiscally responsible for the township.

“Middlesex County's land preservation program is extremely important to Cranbury Township as it is one of the key benefits we receive from the county taxes we pay as residents,” he said. “Overall, land preservation provides multiple benefits to the residents of Cranbury Township as we not only benefit from land that is preserved for agriculture as well as open space.”

http://eastwindsor.patch.com/articles/two-cranbury-farms-preserved-by-county

[Guest]

Job well done! Kudos to the past and present TC members for making this a priority!

[Guest]

This is the only topic in town everyone agrees on.

[LC]

That's because it's an example of the public banding together to protect/conserve private property. It's the perfect storm of conservative and progressive ideals working together! Viva Barry Goldwater!