Established in 2003 by Working Lands Alliance, a broad-based statewide coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses dedicated to preserving Connecticut’s productive farmland. The Farmland Preservation Pathfinder Awards are designed to recognize individuals and groups that have significantly advanced farmland preservation through leadership, advocacy, planning, and education.
Past Winners
2021: Jocelyn Ruggiero, The Town of Easton
2020: Town of Rocky Hill, Richard Kuss
2019: Meeting House Hill LLC, Colchester Land Trust
2018: Matt Packham and Elm Farm LLC, Roxbury Land Trust
2017: Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust, Jennifer Kaufman AICP, Mountain Diary
2016: Walter Adametz, Middlesex County Farm Bureau President, Town of Bethany.
2015: Ben Freund (Fruend’s Farm), The Last Green Valley, Joan Nichols
2014: George Hindinger (Hindinger Farm), Wintonbury Land Trust, UCONN Extension Agriculture Team
2013: Tom Crider (Southbury Land Trust), The Farmer’s Cow, George Hall (George Hall Farm)
2012: Ellington Conservation Commission, Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, Llyn Kaimowitz (Working Lands Alliance Steering Committee), Nicholas Moore (Connecticut Farmland Trust)
2011: Ray Wilcox (Chairman of Suffield’s Open Space Committee), Andrew Rzeznikiewicz (Sanctuary Manager for the Connecticut Audobon Center) , The Agvocate Program
2010: Faith Middleton (WNPR Host of the Faith Middleton Show), Town of Pomfret, Woodbridge Conservation Committee and Baord of Directors of Massaro Community Farm
2009: Eastern CT Resource Conservation and Development Area Inc, Gordon Gibson (CT State Grange)
2008: Linda Francois (Cooper, Whitney, Cochran and Francois), New Milford Farmland Preservation Committee, Jonathan Rapp and Drew McLachlan (Dinners at the Farm)
2007: Dawn Adiletta (Chair of Woodstock Open Space Land Acquistion and Farmland Preservation Committee), Town of Lebanon, Connecticut Tour Des Farms Committee
2006: William Paradis (Paradis Farm), Town of Guilford Agriculture Steering Committee and Guilford, Land Acquisition Commission, Green Valley Institute
2005: John Turenne (Sustainable Food Systems, Inc), Simsbury Land Trust, CT Natural Resource Conservation Service
2004: Mayor Mark Laretti (Shelton), Southbury Land Trust, Woodstock Coordinating Committee for Celebrating Agriculture Fair
2003: Robin Chesmer (Graywall Farms), Terry Jones (Jones Family Farm), Phil Chester and Town of Suffield, Connecticut Environthon
