Loan Program Pays Off for Massachusetts Farm
Albert and Sherry Hager had big ideas for their Massachusetts dairy and maple farm, including updated barns where their cows could roam freely inside and expansion into adjacent farmland. The Hagers planned to use funds from a state program to expand and protect their third-generation farm, but the money wasn’t going to come fast enough.
That’s when the Franklin Land Trust—and the Fund—stepped up to help. Through our Land Trust Loan Program, we were able to lend the local land trust $400,000 to help the Hagers realize their dreams for their farm. Through our program, we have worked with more than 1,700 local nonprofit land conservation groups, offering bridge loans and other short-term financing to protect vulnerable lands quickly.