Feature

A Farm Forever:

Federal and state programs help protect land and a legacy

Thirty acres of Dracut land farmed by the Leczynski family for over 87 years will remain in agriculture forever thanks to the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), the state Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program, and the Town of Dracut Community Preservation Committee.

In September 2006, Wanda Leczynski Bozek led a dedication ceremony on behalf of the Leczynski family, which recently sold the land to farmer David Dumaresq and the development rights to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“This land has been farmed by our family for several generations,” said Wanda Leczynski Bozek. “After much discussion, we all agreed that the best legacy we could leave to our family and to Dracut would be to preserve it as farmland. Our work with David, and the state, federal and town governments have helped us keep the land in agriculture.

Read Wanda Leczynski Bozek's memories of hardship and joys on the family farm.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which administers FRPP, has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for more than a decade in an innovative land preservation partnership that leverages state funds with federal funds. The partnership starts, however, with the landowners who are willing to place restrictions on their agricultural land in order to protect it for future generations.

“This project is an example of how public dollars, together with the unselfish values of a family, the Leczynski and Bozek families, have made it possible for a competent young farmer, Dave Dumaresq, to grow fresh, local and safe food for Dracut families,” said Warren Shaw, former First Selectman and advisor to Dracut’s Community Preservation Committee.

“This was a signature project for the Town because it represents a public/private cooperative partnership that furthers one of the principal goals of the Town’s planning efforts, namely the preservation of open space and our agricultural heritage for future generations to enjoy,” said Dennis E. Piendak, Town Manager.

Jan and Jadwiga Leczynski acquired the property in 1919 as a mix of farm and woodland. In the early years, the Leczynskis operated a commercial dairy with 40 cows and their calves. The dairy business was phased out in the late 1950’s and the farm has since been used to grow hay for commercial purposes. It had remained in the Leczynski family until its sale this past June to Dracut farmer, David Dumaresq, subject to an agricultural preservation restriction that assures it will remain a farm forever.

"I’m very happy with this public/private cooperative effort," said James Carr, Vice Chairman of CPC. “In the long run the Town of Dracut will benefit immensely.”

“I grew up working on farms in Dracut. After I returned to Dracut after working in the Peace Corps, I worked to build a farm business that includes farms and farmstands in two towns as well as farmers’ markets in eight cities,” said David Dumaresq, new owner of the protected farmland. “This, my first land purchase, confirms that I’m in farming for life. The new Dumaresq Farm will provide space to grow crops such as blueberries, apples, pears, and peaches and will certainly be there for the future.”

Since the inception of the APR program in 1977, the state has permanently protected 58,732 acres on 680 farm properties with $163 million in APR funding. With this acquisition, the state has preserved 245 acres in the town of Dracut with $1.5 million in state funding.

From the beginning of the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), first authorized in the 1996 Farm Bill, NRCS has awarded nearly $20 million in federal funds to purchase easements on more than 9,000 acres of farmland in Massachusetts. In Dracut alone, 130 acres have been protected with $1.3 million in FRPP assistance.

article and photos by Diane Baedeker Petit, Public Affairs Specialist, NRCS Massachusetts

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