ACT and SVT Launch Campaign to Preserve Stonefield Farm in South Acton
We have the rare opportunity to permanently preserve one of Acton’s iconic farms, and at the same time provide a home for a non-profit food rescue and relief organization.
The Simeone brothers, Carl, Mike and Paul have agreed to sell Stonefield to the Boston Area Gleaners (BAG) a nonprofit, food rescue and hunger relief organization. BAG has in turn agreed to place a perpetual Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) on the property. The APR will ensure the 51.5-acre property remains undeveloped and will be used either for agricultural use or as open space in perpetuity.
The value of this restriction has been placed at $1.9M and the Town of Acton Community Preservation Committee (CPC) has approved the Open Space Committee’s application for $1.23M to support this acquisition The CPC will include this in an article for Town Meeting on June 21st.
In addition, ACT and The Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) and ACT have launched a private fundraising campaign to help complete the purchase of the APR. Our goal is to raise $50,000 to close the funding gap for the APR.
ACT began working on this project some 14 years ago, and in collaboration with SVT and the Acton Open Space Committee, it is now coming to fruition. We urge all of you to support this once-in-a-generation opportunity by attending Town Meeting and voting for the CPC article. (A 2/3 vote is required.) We also urge you to learn more about BAG and what a great asset it will be to Acton.
You can find out more about the project at SVT-Stonefield and BAG-Stonefield