Help Preserve Farming Heritage, Scenic Riverside Landscape
West Newbury voters have overwhelmingly approved efforts to forever protect two of the town’s most iconic landscapes.
Greenbelt is now actively working to raise the remaining funds needed to conserve the beautiful River Road property along the Merrimack River, as well as Brown Spring Farm, an important part of the town’s agricultural history.
River Road
The River Road project includes 31 acres of woodlands and river views that would expand the town’s recreational assets, offering the potential for a paddle launch and parking on the Merrimack River. Greenbelt will also create a new trail that will wind through stands of birches, oaks, maples, and white pines, alongside stone walls and Coffin’s Stream.
After the approval of $75,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds and a private donation of $50,000, Greenbelt’s fundraising need is now $90,000 to complete the $215,000 purchase. That is 40 percent less than its market value.
Brown Spring Farm
Though just 10 acres, Brown Spring Farm is no minor part of West Newbury’s landscape. The white Victorian home surrounded by fields of hay and vegetables has been the gateway to West Newbury for several generations.
Development of the property would mean not only the visual loss from West Newbury’s bucolic landscape, but a reliable source of fresh, local food. A new farmer, Chris Grant of Grant Family Farm in Essex, plans to start a new farm with sustainably-grown vegetables, which will be available at Brown Spring Farm’s farm stand.