The village of Padanaram in Dartmouth is dense with residential development. It’s a real win then that ten acres of land on the historic Merrylegs Farm property will be permanently preserved for agricultural use.

A conservation restriction that prohibits future development has been placed on the 607 Elm Street property. The Owen family has owned the land since 1895, and the farm was once known for breeding prize Morgan horses. It is now being leased by Flying Carrot Farm, a family farm known for their fresh vegetables and eggs.

Flying Carrot Farm is currently leasing the land and sells its wares in the community.

This site is especially important to the Buzzards Bay Coalition because of its location near a small stream that flows into Apponagansett Bay.

Two house lots had been carved off the land and sold in 2020. Family members decided to preserve the remaining 10 acres of the property, Coalition President Mark Rasmussen told the Dartmouth Select Board at a meeting last month. The family sold the 10 acres for $1.8 million. “They’re making a wonderful, generous donation of half the value of the land in order to see it preserved,’’ he said at the meeting.

The purchase was made possible due to funding from the USDA Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) Program, a federal program that protects agricultural uses of land. The Coalition has been Certified by USDA to assist in streamlining access to these funds for southeastern Massachusetts farmers. No town funds were involved in the sale.

Select Board members voted 4-0 to support the conservation restriction.