Dalton farm protected with Council's help

Following an unusually lengthy negotiation, the state Department of Food and Agriculture purchased an agricultural preservation restriction on Rita Musante's 136-acre farm in Dalton last spring.

The state paid Musante $500,000 for the restriction. The Council provided $10,000 on top of that as a "local share."

Protecting the Musante farm was a particular priority due to its highly visible and strategic location on Route 9, across from the APR-protected Holiday Farm.

The best known part of the farm is a large field on Route 9, dotted in summer with rolled hay bales.

The state had worked with Musante for many years, but various obstacles kept delaying the acquisition. With an agreement finally ready to go, Musante provided one last scare when a relative appeared hoping to buy the land. Happily, the last-minute objections were ironed out.

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