Westchester
Follow us!


Stuart's Fruit Farm Undergoes Decade-Long Protection Project

Stuart's Fruit Farm Undergoes Decade-Long Protection Project

The farm will be protected forever.


Westchester Land Trust (WLT) underwent a decade-long, $3 million project to permanently protect Stuart’s Fruit Farm in Somers, according to a press release.

The conservation easement ensures that the farm’s 172 acres be used for agricultural purposes only. Had it not been placed, the land could have been sold for residential development.

“The protection of Stuart’s Fruit Farm is the product of years of work and is a tribute to the commitment that the Stuart family and our community have to our agricultural heritage,” said Westchester Land Trust president Lori Ensinger in a press release. “We are grateful to all of our funding partners for investing with us in the permanent protection of Stuart’s Farm and believing in the importance of keeping farmland available for generations to come.”

Established in 1828, Stuart Fruit Farm—which has been in the family for seven generations and is currently owned by siblings Bob Stuart and Mary Lee Stuart Gerlach, attracts visitors from the tristate area who pick peaches and apples, purchase produce as well as flowers, and select Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees.  Thousands of schoolchildren also visit each year to learn about Westchester’s agricultural heritage.



Stuart said he is grateful that the land is safe from residential development.

“We have customers who’ve picked apples here as a child who now bring their grandchildren to the orchard!” said Stuart in a press release. “We can rest assured knowing the land we love and share with thousands of visitors each year, is safe from development forever.”

“Our parents, Lee and Mary Stuart, would be thrilled knowing that the future of the farm will continue in our family. Thanks to all who made this possible—this is a very, very special day for us," Gerlach said in a press release.

 

 

More News Articles:

Things to Do with Kids in Westchester this Weekend

Enjoy these fun weekend activities with your kids in Westchester. Start planning your weekend now.


Latest News:

5 Best Rockland Party Places (that kids will love!)

Browse this list of fun birthday party locations in Rockland County, NY, that kids of all ages will love.


Family Activities:



Have a Laugh:

Best Memes of the Week for Parents

Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.
Caitlin Sawicki

Author:

Caitlin Sawicki, a former NYMP editorial intern, is a recent college graduate who will begin studying for her M.F.A. in Creative and Professional Writing in the fall. She loves going shopping, and her favorite animal is an otter.

See More

Featured Listings:

Lice Clinics of America -- Westchester

Lice Clinics of America -- Westchester

White Plains, Lice Clinics of America Long Island ends the nightmare of lice by dehydrating lice and their eggs in one single 60 minute lice removal treatment. Our ...

Blue Sky Counseling Associates

Blue Sky Counseling Associates

Mohegan Lake, NY The mission of Blue Sky Counseling Associates is to guide individuals, couples, and family on a journey of achieving psychological and spiritual well-...

Music Conservatory of Westchester

Music Conservatory of Westchester

White Plains, NY Music Conservatory of Westchester was founded in 1929 by a group of musicians including legendary cellist Pablo Casals, with the guiding principle tha...