NORTH HAVEN, Maine (AP) — A 153-acre farm on North Haven Island has been donated to the American Farmland Trust, which plans to continue using it as working farmland.
The Turner Farm property was one of North Haven’s largest farms in the 1800s and it underwent a restoration under the ownership of financier and philanthropist Donald Sussman, who donated the land to the trust, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The American Farmland Trust is dedicated to protecting farmland and promoting environmentally sound farming practices.
“We are honored to take on responsibility for the future of this unique coastal farm,” John Piotti, president and CEO, said in a statement.
Turner Farm is also home to a significant archaeological dig in the 1970s that discovered artifacts dating as far back as 5,000 years ago.
“Native people have been living on this piece of land long before European settlers arrived in Maine,” Piotti said. “The historical significance of this land is foremost in our minds as we plan for its future.”
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