Saving the Farm

Hopkinton’s Bohanan Farm Protected

Photo’s by Bob LaPree

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Five Rivers Conservation Trust and the Town of Hopkinton recently completed the Bohanan Farm conservation project. In the deal, 413 acres of Bohanan Farm, one of only three dairy farms left in Hopkinton, were permanently protected as agricultural land and open space through conservation easements sold by the farm owners Glenn and Adelemarie Bohanan, and Jamie and Heather Robertson. Five Rivers Conservation Trust secured federal and state grants that paid for most of the easement price, drafted the conservation easements, coordinated the private fundraising effort, and collaborated with the Hopkinton Open Space Committee to complete the many due diligence tasks like getting the property appraised and surveyed.

“People say they love Hopkinton because it is a small, rural town with farms and abundant open space,” says Jay Haines, executive director of Five Rivers Conservation Trust. “With all of the tragic environmental news of the past few months, it is just great to be able to celebrate a success where community residents came together to protect one of the jewels in their town—a farm, a local food source, wonderful open space—and to know that we are doing something positive to safeguard the environment and our quality of life.”