Morris County Preserves 126th Farm -- 54-acre farm in Mount Olive

The Morris County Agriculture Development Board has announced the permanent preservation of the 126th farm in Morris County, with the enrollment of a 54-acre Mount Olive farm onto the county’s preservation roster.

Marancon Farm

The latest preserved farm, owned by Marancon Associates, is located on Smithtown Road, adjacent to a 107-acre non-preserved farm and within a half-mile of the preserved Charters Farm, and in close proximity to several preserved open space parcels. 

The Morris County Open Space, Farmland, Floodplain Protection and Historic Preservation Trust Fund provided 100 percent of the $744,744 acquisition price.

The purchases by the Morris CADB restrict the lands from non-agricultural uses, thus permanently preserving the 54-acre farm. This is the 5th preserved farm in Mount Olive, according to Katherine Coyle, director of the Morris CADB. The Marancon Farm produces corn.

Preservation of the Marancon Farm brings the total area of preserved farmland in the County to 7,763 acres or the equivalent of 12 square miles, which is about the size of Long Hill, which is the 15th largest municipality in Morris County.

There are four more farms targeted for preservation in 2015, including one in Mount Olive, and others in Chester and Washington townships.

In contrast to open space preservation, the landowner retains ownership of, and may even choose to sell, the preserved farmland with a deed restriction ensuring the land will not undergo non-farm development. Agricultural development is permitted and the type of farming activity can change in the future.

The Morris County Farmland Preservation program began with the permanent preservation of the Cupo Farm, a 14-acre farm in Washington Township, on December 28, 1987. Since 1987, an additional 125 farms have been permanently preserved.

Washington Township ranks 1st in preserved farmland acreage in the county and Chester Township ranks 2nd. 

Also, there are preserved farms in Boonton Township, Chester Borough, Denville, Harding, Lincoln Park, Long Hill, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Montville, Randolph, and Rockaway Township.

For more information on farmland preservation in Morris County, visit: http://morrisplanning.org/divisions/PresTrust/Farmland/index.asp