MINOT – A dozen landowners attended a program on farmland conservation recently at the Hemond Hill Farm.

Stephanie Gilbert, Maine farmland protection specialist for the Maine Department of Agriculture, and LouAnna Perkins, executive director of Maine Farmland Trust, were on hand to discuss options for farmland protection, estate planning and conservation easements.

The pair cited the changing agricultural scene in Maine. Since 1946, five and a half million acres of farmland have been lost to production, as farmers have left the land because of economic pressures.

The average farm size now is 200 acres or less, with the trend toward intensively managed land and diversified operations. Central Maine, the traditional dairy and apple belt, is now under pressure from changing land use. Significant changes have already been seen in Aroostook County.

The workshop prompted discussions about transfer of farm property, trusts, easements and assessments. Workshop participants were told to think about plans for their own future and the future of their land. Because of high interest, the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District has planned a follow-up workshop in November. For more information, contact the district at 753-9400, ext. 400.