GORHAM, ME – Last month, Maine Farmland Trust closed on a conservation easement protecting the 79.5-acre Gordon Farm in Gorham, with support from the Town of Gorham. Joan Gordon and her late husband Bill bought the land in 1959, which consists of nearly 30 acres of open fields and approximately 50 acres of forest. A few years ago, Joan and her daughter Sue Hynes began working with MFT to secure the future of the farm with an easement. Joan passed away last fall at the age of 95, and Sue continued working with us to get the project over the finish line. “Both my parents loved this land,” said Sue, “and they wanted to make sure it was protected forever.” 

Managed by Sue’s cousins at Findview Farm for over 50 years, the fields have primarily been used for hay, while some of the better drained soils have been used at times as cropland for sweet corn and vegetables. Meanwhile, the forest land has been well-managed by forester Paul Larrivee. It has the potential to provide food for greater Portland for years to come!

Given the farm’s proximity to Portland and high land values in Southern Maine, the easement includes an Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value (OPAV), an extra layer of protection to help keep desirable farmland affordable and in the hands of active farmers. If a protected farm with an OPAV is sold outside the family, the OPAV gives MFT the ability to ensure that the land is sold at agricultural value to buyers who are committed to actively farming the land.