Since 1989, Blue Hill Heritage Trust has worked to protect farmland across the Blue Hill Peninsula, with a particular focus on the Route 15 corridor running through Orland, North Penobscot, and Blue Hill.
This region contains a band of glacially deposited soils that are deep, fertile, and exceptionally well-suited for agriculture. Locally referred to as the “Route 15 farmland corridor”, this strip of land contains some of the most productive agricultural soil in Hancock County.
Farmland overall is increasingly vulnerable to development. As land values rise and properties are subdivided, agricultural land can quickly disappear to housing developments and other uses. Once these soils are developed, they are effectively removed from agricultural production forever.
By permanently conserving farmland, Blue Hill Heritage Trust helps keep agricultural land affordable and accessible to local farmers. In doing so, the organization strengthens the region’s local food system, protects its rural character, and supports a working landscape that benefits the entire community.
Through agricultural conservation easements, Blue Hill Heritage Trust partners with landowners to ensure that farms remain available for future generations of farmers. These easements protect not only the fields themselves, but often the surrounding woodlands that support healthy farm ecosystems.
The following farms have been permanently protected through Blue Hill Heritage Trust’s Farmland Forever program:
Blue-Zee Farm, Mark and Renata Scarano
652 Front Ridge Road, Penobscot 207-374-9976
Horsepower Farm, Andrew and Donna Birdsall & Paul Birdsall
90 Horsepower Farm Road, off Route 15, Penobscot
Ken-Rose Farm, Nathaniel Birdsall
1381 Pleasant Street/Route 15, Blue Hill
King Hill Farm, Amanda Provencher and Paul Shultz
29 Faerie Kingdom Road, off Route 199, Penobscot
Old Ackley Farm, Bob Sullivan
42 Ackley Farm Road, Blue Hill
Quill’s End Farm, Phil and Heather Retberg
192 Front Ridge Road, Penobscot
Rainbow Farm, Noah and Lorelei Cimeno
4 Rainbow Farm Drive, Orland 207-610-3793