Mansfield, Connecticut
The town of Mansfield is a scenic agricultural town with a big local-food impact! In fact, interest in farming and local foods has grown, even as the supply of affordable farmland has decreased.
Mansfield’s agricultural lands are typical of a New England hill town. Over 3,500 acres of farmland (cropland and pastures) extend across rolling hills, along level river valleys and in the Willimantic Basin, representing approximately 12% of Mansfield’s acreage. Approximately 1,300 acres support operations for three dairy farms, 70 acres are owned by the Town and leased to local farmesr, and 700 acres are owned by UConn. The remaining acreage is divided among small farms (50 acres or less). Smaller farms produce a variety of products, including livestock and vegetables.
From its roots as an agrarian economy in the 18th century to a town of mill villages centered around small-scale industries in the 19th century to the expansion of UConn as the state’s flagship public university campus in the mid-twentieth century, Mansfield has continually adapted to changing economic conditions. In addition, growth of the agricultural sector has been identified as a key objective by the community, both to increase food security and community resiliency, and also because of the scenic and rural character of the community.
*information provided by Mansfield Tomorrow: Plan of Conservation & Development (October, 2015), as well as The Mansfield Agriculture Committee est. 1995
Mansfield’s agricultural lands are typical of a New England hill town. Over 3,500 acres of farmland (cropland and pastures) extend across rolling hills, along level river valleys and in the Willimantic Basin, representing approximately 12% of Mansfield’s acreage. Approximately 1,300 acres support operations for three dairy farms, 70 acres are owned by the Town and leased to local farmesr, and 700 acres are owned by UConn. The remaining acreage is divided among small farms (50 acres or less). Smaller farms produce a variety of products, including livestock and vegetables.
From its roots as an agrarian economy in the 18th century to a town of mill villages centered around small-scale industries in the 19th century to the expansion of UConn as the state’s flagship public university campus in the mid-twentieth century, Mansfield has continually adapted to changing economic conditions. In addition, growth of the agricultural sector has been identified as a key objective by the community, both to increase food security and community resiliency, and also because of the scenic and rural character of the community.
*information provided by Mansfield Tomorrow: Plan of Conservation & Development (October, 2015), as well as The Mansfield Agriculture Committee est. 1995
Photographer: Molly Deegan