More than 120 acres of historic farmland and nearby woodland in Essex, Massachusetts, have been permanently protected from commercial housing development after a major conservation deal was completed in early 2025. According to project details published by the Essex County Greenbelt Association, the regional land trust worked with local town leaders and state environmental agencies to place a permanent conservation restriction on historic Hoyt Farm, also known locally as Silver Brook Farm. The agreement ensures that the property, which has been farmed for more than two centuries and cared for by one family for 100 years, will remain used for farming, forestry and protection of natural habitat.
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