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Isabella Rossellini turned a 27-acre New York farmstead into a protected community farm after conserving 20.8 acres; Mama Farm now runs a member CSA and biodiversity programmes for families and children

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Isabella Rossellini turned a 27-acre New York farmstead into a protected community farm after conserving 20.8 acres; Mama Farm now runs a member CSA and biodiversity programmes for families and children

Isabella Rossellini turned a 27-acre New York farmstead into a protected community farm after conserving 20.8 acres (Image Credit: Mama Farm) A wooded property on Long Island has become a place where farming, animal care and community activities share the same space. The project is Mama Farm, founded by actress Isabella Rossellini in Brookhaven, New … Read more

In 1993, Bob Hope sold his 2,308-acre California ranch to the National Park Service for $16.7 million; the deal turned his former property into federal parkland and expanded protected land to about 20,400 acres

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In 1993, Bob Hope sold his 2,308-acre California ranch to the National Park Service for $16.7 million; the deal turned his former property into federal parkland and expanded protected land to about 20,400 acres

Bob HopePhoto: Wikimedia Common In 1993, comedian and entertainer Bob Hope sold his 2,308-acre Jordan Ranch in eastern Ventura County to the National Park Service for $16.7 million. The acquisition added the rugged, oak-dotted property to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, bringing the park service’s holdings in the recreation area to about 20,400 … Read more

A Colorado ranch homesteaded before statehood stayed with the same family for six generations; more than 150 years later, 650 of its roughly 700 acres were permanently protected from subdivision

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A Colorado ranch homesteaded before statehood stayed with the same family for six generations; more than 150 years later, 650 of its roughly 700 acres were permanently protected from subdivision

A Colorado ranch homesteaded before statehood stayed with the same family for six generations; more than 150 years later, 650 of its roughly 700 acres were permanently protected from subdivision/Image: The Trust for Public Land The 700-acre Hutchinson Ranch along US Highway 50 between Salida and Poncha Springs, recognised as the oldest family-owned ranch in … Read more

In 1914, a California family bought what became the 6,625-acre Kinsey Ranch; 112 years later, after one brother pushed to protect it before his death, the entire working cattle ranch is now permanently protected from development

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In 1914, a California family bought what became the 6,625-acre Kinsey Ranch; 112 years later, after one brother pushed to protect it before his death, the entire working cattle ranch is now permanently protected from development

The Kinsey family bought a stretch of California countryside in 1914 that would eventually become a 6,625-acre working cattle ranch. After more than a century, the family has taken steps to ensure the property remains protected from development. The place is for cattle, forests, rivers and wildlife rather than new development.The Northcoast Regional Land Trust … Read more

In 1834, the O’Connor family’s Texas ranching legacy began; 191 years later, an $8.863 million deal protected 6,409 acres of coastal prairie while keeping it a working cattle ranch

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In 1834, the O'Connor family's Texas ranching legacy began; 191 years later, an $8.863 million deal protected 6,409 acres of coastal prairie while keeping it a working cattle ranch

O’Connor ranching legacy began in 1834; 6,409 acres of Texas prairie protected 191 years later (Image Credit: Kenny Braun) A Texas ranching legacy that began in 1834 is now tied to one of the state’s major private-land conservation efforts. An $8.863 million conservation easement has permanently protected approximately 6,409 acres of the historic T.M. O’Connor … Read more

An American artist traded a painting and $10 for a 153-acre Connecticut farm in 1882; more than a century later, his home and studios became part of a nationally protected landscape devoted to art

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An American artist traded a painting and $10 for a 153-acre Connecticut farm in 1882; more than a century later, his home and studios became part of a nationally protected landscape devoted to art

Julian Alden Weir/Image: National Park Service A painting that once cost American artist Julian Alden Weir $560 ended up helping him acquire something far more lasting, a 153-acre farm in Connecticut.In July 1882, Weir exchanged the painting and $10 for the Branchville property, a deal that would shape much of the rest of his artistic … Read more

A Massachusetts farm stayed under one family’s care for a century and was cultivated for more than 200 years; a 2025 conservation purchase protected over 120 acres of farmland and forest for the future

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A Massachusetts farm stayed under one family's care for a century and was cultivated for more than 200 years; a 2025 conservation purchase protected over 120 acres of farmland and forest for the future

More than 120 acres of historic farmland and nearby woodland in Essex, Massachusetts, have been permanently protected from commercial housing development after a major conservation deal was completed in early 2025. According to project details published by the Essex County Greenbelt Association, the regional land trust worked with local town leaders and state environmental agencies … Read more

A South Carolina family raised cattle and horses on its farm for generations; in 2025, it permanently protected 2,000 acres from development in the largest such deal in Laurens County’s history

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A South Carolina family raised cattle and horses on its farm for generations; in 2025, it permanently protected 2,000 acres from development in the largest such deal in Laurens County's history

A South Carolina family has permanently protected 2,000 acres of farmland, forests and waterways that had remained in private ownership for generations. The Creekland Farms property in Laurens County was placed under a conservation easement in 2025, preventing future development while allowing the landowners to continue using it for agriculture, forestry and recreation. The Nature … Read more

A Pennsylvania dairy farmer spent 70 years watching bears and turkeys on his 170-acre farm; in 2026, after turning down two lucrative offers, he permanently protected the land from development

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A Pennsylvania dairy farmer spent 70 years watching bears and turkeys on his 170-acre farm; in 2026, after turning down two lucrative offers, he permanently protected the land from development

After spending most of his life on the same Pennsylvania farm, dairy farmer Jeff Biddle has chosen to protect it from development, even after receiving two lucrative offers from potential buyers. The 170-acre Bear Meadows Farm near Tussey Mountain was placed under a permanent conservation easement in July 2026, according to the Centre County Farmland … Read more

A Maryland couple bought 116 acres as a hunting property; 20 years later, they had replaced crops with native grasses, wildflowers and trees and permanently protected the land for wildlife

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A Maryland couple bought 116 acres as a hunting property; 20 years later, they had replaced crops with native grasses, wildflowers and trees and permanently protected the land for wildlife

Photo Credit: ESLC via easternshoreundercover.com When Louise and John Durocher bought 116 acres in Kent County, Maryland, the property was intended primarily as a hunting retreat. Over the next two decades, however, the couple gradually changed its purpose. They stopped growing crops and began restoring the fields with native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees. They … Read more