As stated in the opening sentence of the Vision Statement of Westford’s 2015 Town Plan; Westford will plan for and manage growth while protecting and preserving the rural character, historical sites, natural resources, and working land of the Town.
The Jackson Farm and Forest Project uniquely encompass all aspects of that Vision Statement. The property, located at 123 Brookside Road opposite the school is an iconic, historic farm that has been in the same Westford family since the 1830’s. The property is rural in nature, is a legacy farm with approximately one mile of dry stacked stone wall that surrounds the farmed land and contains large tracts of productive forests and includes ponds. The land is worked by our largest local farming family. It also has been identified and proven to have a significant area of soils that may afford future stability and growth of the Town Center and Village districts.
The last sentence of the Vision Statement states, “In the interest of stabilizing the tax rate and ensuring the most efficient use of community resources, innovative techniques and grants shall be used as much as possible to enhance this vision of the Town.”
We are proud to say that nearly two‐thirds of the $630,000 project budget has already been secured through a grant from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and other sources. We will be asking the town to contribute $185,000 toward the purchase of the land through a ballot measure in November. We will also need to raise around $50,000 from private donors.