HOPE — Georges River Land Trust and Kelly and Oliver Perkins, who run a farming business called A Small Good that produces charcuterie, have announced the permanent protection of Taylor Place Farm, 125 acres of farm fields, woodland, and blueberry barrens on the southern slope of Philbrook Mountain in Hope.

Formerly owned by Judith and Bill Jones for more than 30 years, the Perkins were able to purchase Taylor Place Farm with help from Maine Farmland Trust, and to permanently protect it as farmland with the assistance of Georges River Land Trust.

The Joneses wanted to sell to a farm family, but the market price for the property was more than a farmer could typically afford, according to a news release. Maine Farmland Trust’s program allowed the sale of development rights to offset some of the purchase price, resulting in the permanent conservation of the farm and payment to the buyers for the easement portion of the full value of the property.

“That way, everyone wins,” the release said. “This partnership between the original owners of the property, Bill and Judith Jones, the Perkins, Maine Farmland Trust and Georges River Land Trust demonstrates the ability to accomplish meaningful conservation.”

In addition to the productive farm soils that underlie 30 percent of the property, Philbrook Mountain is a resource in the St. George River watershed. It is largely undeveloped and is within a large habitat block of 3,560 acres. The parcel includes diverse woodlands and streams, as well as open fields.

Meg Rasmussen, Georges River Land Trust’s executive director, welcomed the addition of this agricultural easement to the nearly 4,000 acres that the Trust has under protection, one third of which protect farmland.

“This is a spectacular property in the Central Highlands of our watershed,” she said in the release. “We are grateful for the partners who worked together to ensure this land is forever protected.”

The Taylor Place Farm property is within a newly defined conservation focus area for the land trust encompassing the band of mountain ridges from Union to Hope.

The Georges River Land Trust assists landowners like Oliver and Kelly Perkins in voluntarily protecting their land. 

The Land Trust was founded in 1987 and its mission is to conserve and protect, for the public benefit, the natural resources and traditional character of the 225-square-mile Georges River watershed region, extending from Montville to Port Clyde.

The Land Trust connects people with this area through public activities such as walks on the Georges Highland Path, canoeing and kayaking, birding, bicycling, lecture programs and explorations of the geology, flora and fauna of the watershed.

For more information on the Georges River Land Trust and its activities, check www.georgesriver.org, email info@grlt.org or phone 594-5166.