Cranberry Growers Bypass Developers to Preserve Land

MARION, MA-As more and more cranberry growers in this area realize they need to sell off some of their land for their financial survival, the standard route–despite a state law that provides land trusts with first rights of refusal–has been to sell to developers. But in this town, a new path is being forged as two cranberry growers with land here have chosen to sell to the town and to a trust, with restrictions remaining on the rest of the property.

The Eagle Holt Co. and Tweedy & Barnes Co. are selling nearly 100 acres of land here to the town of Marion. The locally based Sippican Lands Trust will buy another 10-acre river lot while the Trust and the state will hold conservation restrictions on the remaining 160 acres. These restrictions will prevent development on the property, but will allow cranberry operations.

Mark Rasmussen, executive director of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, did not return calls by presstime but he is quoted as saying that this deal demonstrates that cranberry growers do not have to sell to developers or to develop the land to make a profitable deal. The Coalition helped arrange the deal. Unconfirmed reports place the value of the deal at $1.6 million.