Oxbow Farm Access Project

“EMSWCD worked creatively and responsively with us to create access to an important farm property and to ensure its future as a ‘forever-farm,'”
-Ted and Karen Sester, co-operators of Sester Farms and participants in EMSWCD’s Farm Access program

EMSWCD acquired this 57-acre property in 2011 when it was listed for sale and at risk of no longer being available for productive use by the local farming community. After leasing the property for many years to two commercial plant nursery operations, EMSWCD sold the property in early 2019 to a commercial nursery farmer, Sester Farms.

The farm was sold subject to a working farmland easement which significantly reduced the list price of the property for prospective farmer buyers. The working farmland easement will ensure the property forever remains in active, sustainable farm use. It will ensure the farm remains in the ownership of farmers, by requiring resale to farmers. And, it tackles the issue of farmland affordability by limiting the residential structures that can be built on the farm.

Want to learn more about how we can partner with you?

Contact Matt Shipkey, our Land Legacy Program Manager, at (503) 935-5374 or matt@emswcd.org.