ATHENS — The Vermont Land Trust and Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association say that they are just $23,000 away from the needed amount to protect the 171-acre former Sleepy Valley Farm in Athens and the adjoining Lake Trust property in Grafton.
A public tour of the farm will be held Sept. 12, from 3-5 p.m. The farm is just south of Cambridgeport on Route 35 and connects with the neighboring Lake Trust property across the town line in Grafton, in the Ledge Road area.
The historic Sleepy Valley Farm is being revitalized as Wild Shepherd Farm by a young farming couple, David Hassan and Emily Amanna, who specialize in garlic production and cheeses from both sheep and cows' milk. They grow and sell other vegetables and meat at their new farm stand and at local farmers' markets. Their farm stand will be open during the tour and refreshments will be served.
The adjoining 195-acre Lake Trust property possesses unusual geologic features, a historic soapstone quarry, mature forestland and wildlife habitat, recreational trails and a stream with a thriving native brook trout population. This land will come under the ownership of the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association.
Conserving both properties connects the Athens Dome area of Grafton, along with the 800-acre Grafton Improvement Association forest, to the Pinnacle ridgeline trail that continues south through five towns to Putney Mountain.
Two major grants totaling $599,000 were awarded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board in June. A local fundraising campaign to raise $140,000 was then launched, and $117,000 has been contributed by donors in Athens, Grafton, and neighboring towns. The total includes a generous grant of $15,000 from the Windham Foundation.
The Vermont Land Trust is a statewide, member-supported, nonprofit land conservation organization. Since 1977, the Vermont Land Trust has permanently conserved more than 1,580 parcels of land covering 502,000 acres, or about 8 percent of the private, undeveloped land in the state. The conserved land includes more than 700 working farms, hundreds of thousands of acres of productive forestland, and numerous parcels of community lands.
For anyone interested in participating in this campaign to raise the final $23,000, charitable donations can be sent to the Vermont Land Trust, 8 Bailey Ave., Montpelier, VT 05602, or by visiting www.vlt.org. Write “Wild Shepherd/Lake” in the memo line of your check. Questions can be directed to Joan Weir of the Vermont Land Trust at (802) 251-6008.
The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association was formed in 1992 with the immediate goal of regaining access to and protecting the highest peak in Westminster. Today, that vision has expanded to encompass the entire ridgeline from Dummerston in the south to Cambridgeport in the north, then west toward Grafton.
The association now has more than 1,300 members; it protects 1,617 acres and maintains over 15 miles of public trails. It is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization offering guided walks in the summer and a once per year “Accessibility Day” for people who need a vehicle ride to the special peaks. Learn more at www.windmillhillpinnacle.org.