cheshirecitizen.com
Volume 14, Number 49
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Planning for Ives Farm’s future is now underway By Peter Prohaska Herald Staff
When the Connecticut Department of Agriculture offered to purchase the development rights for Cheshire Land Trust’s Ives Farm property earlier this year, it seemed like a clear win-win. The CLT would receive money from the Farmland Preservation Program and the state would keep some of the nation’s best soils for agricultural purposes in production. With the purchase process moving forward, the CLT has been exploring a wide range of agricultural and educational possibilities for the property. As part of the planning, the public was invited to attend a presentation about the project’s Master Plan on Nov. 30, at the Cheshire Public Library. CLT President Bill Stanley explained how a team was assembled to help bring the visiton of Mrs. Ives, the longtime owner of the property, into 2023 and beyond.
O’Meara, a farmer based in the Town of Morris and an advocate for increasing access to farming opportunities in the state. O’Meara works as the Connecticut Field Agent for Land For Good, a non-profit that focuses on providing “caring support and expert guidance to help farmers, landowners and communities navigate the complex challenges of land access, tenure, and transfer” per its website. That can mean connecting landowners, sometimes with only a few acres of farmland, with farmers, in order to keep land working. O’Meara introduced the CLT to Caitlin Taylor, a critic at Yale’s School of Architecture, who has taught courses such as “The Architecture of the Food System” and “Mixed-Use Regeneration: Old Oak London” to architecture students. She is also personally involved in farming through Four Root Farm located in East Haddam. As it turned out, Taylor was able to suggest one of her Master’s stu-
Izy Martin-Garrison of Rock Floral is leasing space at Ives Farm in Cheshire this year. Photo courtesy of the Cheshire Land Trust One key resource has been Will
See Farm, A5
Hearst CT Media close to buying Record-Journal Record-Journal staff
MERIDEN — After more than a century and a half of independent, family ownership, the Record-Journal announced on Nov. 27 that it had reached a preliminary sales agreement with Hearst Connecticut Media Group.
Under the agreement, HCMG will take ownership of all print and digital operations of RJ Media Group, including the Record-Journal, its seven weekly publications, and its digital advertising agency, according to Record-Journal Publisher Liz White Notarangelo.
White Notarangelo, the fifth generation of her family to lead the Record-Journal, shared the news with employees last Monday, citing Hearst’s “ongoing commitment to strong local journalism as well as a culture of innovation and serving communities.
“We feel it’s a great fit and next chapter for our family company,” White Notarangelo wrote, in a column to readers Nov. 27. Mike DeLuca, group publisher and president of HCMG, said he was “thrilled to welcome the Record-Jour-
nal to the Hearst Connecticut Media Group family,” while “embracing a new chapter in journalism.” “This union underscores our commitment to fostering strong local voices and delivering impactful stories See Hearst, A8