Our History


Valley Land Fund (VLF) began in 1986 with an ad hoc effort to prevent development of a 50-acre strawberry field in Montague, Massachusetts.  Almost 25 years later, VLF retains the same grassroots values and passion that helped save that little strawberry patch. Now we work in over 50 communities across Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties in western Massachusetts, and have saved more than 9,000 acres, including pristine mountain ranges, rich forest lands, historic family farms, vital wetlands, and essential wildlife habitat. These projects have contributed to the health and economies of local communities, protected the character of the Valley, and assured that future generations will be able to walk the land and swim in the rivers of western Massachusetts.

In recent years, we’ve saved hundreds of acres by buying them, holding them temporarily, and then selling the land to farmers or to federal, state, or municipal agencies that will secure their protection forever. For a more complete list of our transactions, go to OUR LAND, Past Projects.  Here is a sampling of some of our recent projects:

  • 15 acres of vital forest on the slopes of Mt. Tom in Easthampton purchased to prevent likely development of this and adjacent land.  Working with the Pascommuck Conservation Trust and City of Easthampton, VLF acted quickly to purchase this land and then sold it to the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation to be permanently protected as part of the Mt. Tom State Reservation.
  • 197 acres along the Connecticut River in Northampton, sold to US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), to become part of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
  • 45 acres of hayfield protected by an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley, sold to FWS, also to be part of the Conte Wildlife Refuge.
  • 43 acres of farmland in Agricultural Preservation Restriction on North East Street in Amherst, sold to local farmer Richard Hanks.
  • 27 acres of farmland with a Conservation Restriction adjacent to the Connecticut River in North Hadley, sold to organic farmer DeWitt Thompson.

These transactions and many more like them are the critical component of our history. We exist to save land.

Valley Land Fund has recently opened an office in the American Farmland Trust building at 1 Short St. in Northampton. In addition, we have hired a part-time Projects Manager (Sally Loomis), publish a newsletter twice a year, and lead monthly hikes around the Valley. All of these changes greatly increase our capacity to protect land and communicate with the public.

However, much work lies before us. Residential and commercial development continues to threaten some of our most important landscapes. Mass Audubon estimates that the Commonwealth loses 22 acres a day to development.  That’s 8,030 acres of forests, farms, wetlands, and wildlife habitat lost every year! We face huge challenges, and we welcome your support.