RI Department of Environmental Management
by Wayne G. Barber
GOVERNOR RAIMONDO, DEM DIRECTOR COIT, ALPC AND PARTNERS CELEBRATE PRESERVATION OF LIAL ACRES, 100TH FARM IN RHODE ISLAND PROTECTED BY ALPC FROM DEVELOPMENT
PROVIDENCE - Governor Gina Raimondo today joined Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit, members of the RI Agricultural Land Preservation Commission (ALPC) and others at an event in Warren to celebrate the preservation of Lial Acres. The 40.5 acre farm, which is located on Serpentine Road in Warren , is the 100th Rhode Island farm to be permanently protected by ALPC for agricultural use. The event showcased Lial Acres and the other protected farms in Rhode Island and was held at the Hope & Main culinary business incubator on Main Street .
"By recognizing Lial Acres, we are demonstrating the importance of supporting families who have dedicated their lives to farming and to preserving a culture of farming for future generations to experience and enjoy," said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. "I am grateful to Mrs. Lial for taking steps to work with our Agriculture Land Preservation Commission and Department of Environmental Management to protect a property that has been in her family for more than 125 years."
"DEM is proud and very pleased to be a part of this milestone celebration of Lial Acres as the 100th RI farm to be permanently protected by the RI Agricultural Land Preservation Commission," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "Lial Acres will have a pivotal role in the state’s agricultural community well into the future."
Lial Acres has been in production for 125 years and is currently used for diversified vegetable production along with some hay and grazing land. It is owned by Mrs. Bertha Lial, widow of Manuel Lial, who ran the farm as a dairy operation for decades, after his father and grandfather before him. Manuel Lial Senior came over from Portugal when he was 19, and after working on a farm in Barrington for a few seasons, he bought what is now Lial Acres in the late 1800s. The farm has been in continuous operation since then. Mrs. Lial, who assisted her husband with the farming operations while raising her children, says that she was never sorry to have married into farm life – and always enjoyed it.
Mrs. Bertha Lial said, “The Family is pleased that the farm will always remain a farm for future generations. We determined it was the right thing to do and worked many years to accomplish the goal that began in 1890 when a young Portuguese immigrant purchased the first parcel of three that became Lial Acres.”
With nearly 60 percent of the property consisting of prime and important farm soils and wide-open vistas from the road and across to the Warren Reservoir, this farm is an important state resource to protect. Lial Acres abuts land protected by the Bristol County Water Authority and is in close proximity to other farms protected by ALPC, including Freirichs Farm and the 142-acre Chace Farm in Warren , which was the first farm in RI that was preserved through the Agricultural Preservation Act in 1985. The farm, which has been in cultivation since 1697, was a dairy farm at the time it was protected. The Chace family has owned it since 1946. Over the past 30 years, the farm uses have changed and the property now is used for vegetable farming, growing hay and a portion is leased for equestrian riding. Joetta Kirk and Matt Chace are dedicated to keeping the farm in active agricultural uses and preserving the family history of farming.
"The Nature Conservancy salutes its longtime land protection partners at DEM and the ALPC on reaching this incredible milestone," said Terry Sullivan, RI State Director. "I also want to recognize the critical role of The Champlin Foundations, which have contributed significant funding for farmland preservation over the years. We owe a real debt to Mrs. Lial and the 99 other farm families who had the foresight to conserve their land forever, rather than see it developed. Together, these 100 farms protect an essential piece of our natural and cultural heritage, and Rhode Island is a better place because of them.”
Since 1985 the RI Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission, working in concert with DEM and many partners, has been permanently protecting the state’s farmland to ensure this important and valuable state asset remains available for agriculture. Over the course of its 30 years, the ALPC has protected a total of 102 farms, 7,000 acres, and $100.6 million in land value while leveraging $53 million in partner funding from the federal government, local land trusts, non-profits, and municipalities. This significant achievement would not have been possible without the countless hours of volunteer time given by Commission members.
"On behalf of the Commission, I'd like to thank not only the Lial family but all the farm owner families, the staff of DEM and the taxpayers all of whom are committed to preserve not only farmland but farming here in Rhode Island," said ALPC Chair George Mason.
R. Phou Vongkhamdy, Rhode Island NRCS state conservationist said, “Protecting Lial Acres was made possible through a concerted effort with various conservation partners including NRCS and the State of Rhode Island ’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission. Such partnerships provide the necessary technical and financial expertise which creates synergy so that future generations of Rhode Islanders may reap the benefits of protected natural resources."
The purchase price for the development rights to Lial Acres was $385,000, which was funded with $192,500 from the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, $75,000 from The Nature Conservancy and The Champlin Foundations, and $117,500 from the ALPC.
Farming is an integral part of the state's economy and provides a valuable contribution to Rhode Island 's open space and quality of life. Beyond fresh and local produce, nursery stock, sod and Rhode Island 's own Rhody Fresh milk, in RI agriculture contributes $239 million annually to tourism, open space, landscaping businesses, and a variety of food-related industries. According to the 2014 update to URI's Green Industry Economic Impact Study, which was highlighted at today's event, the 3,327 green industry businesses in Rhode Island sustain 15,826 jobs and contribute $2.5 billion annually to our state’s economy.
Today's event at Hope & Main featured a host of locally-sourced foods that were provided with funding from the RI Farm Bureau. Housed in a 100-year-old schoolhouse on the historic Main Street in Warren , Hope & Main is a place where food producers, farmers, fishermen and other industry members can connect directly with consumers, engage the community and collaborate with peers. Its nonprofit incubator program supports dozens of food-related companies, including specialty food product makers, artisanal bakers, caterers, food trucks, farmers, personal chefs and nutritionists.
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