John and Sophie Smyrski sold the development rights to the state in the late 1980s.
Mrs. Furhman, who worked for the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) from 2002 to 2008 before taking on her current position, said about 70 acres have been leased for black Angus cattle farming.
"The benefit to the land trust is that you have somebody taking care of your land," she said, noting that there is a market for local farm products.
"I think people are very concerned about what they're eating, where it is coming from and the chemicals," Mrs. Furhman said.
"People want local produce. They know that it's better for the environment," she said.
New Milford has a Farmlands Commission, and the Town Council has established a Right-To-Farm ordinance.
New Milford has a farming heritage that goes back generations.
However, the town, which has more land than any of Connecticut's 169 municipalities, has seen several farms developed into housing over the last 40 years.
Mrs. Furhman said that the Smyrski Farm, which was opened to the public for a "community celebration" last October, provides some scenic views near the West Aspetuck River.
Weantinoge has also acquired a red barn on the property, which Mrs. Furhman said was built before 1830. The land trust also found some antique farm equipment at the site that it hopes to display.
She said that ever since Helen Marks of New Milford helped establish the land trust 44 years ago a lot of its holdings have come in Merryall and in Kent, since the organization, which has its office at 315 Litchfield Road in New Milford, has long had a visible presence in southern Litchfield County.
It works with 25 municipalities in Western Connecticut, most of which are in Litchfield County.
Mrs. Furhman said that there is a growing interest in land preservation, noting that through its acquisitions and conservation easements Weantinoge has about 8,350 acres.
"I think the change in the tax laws for deductions on federal income taxes for conservation easements that went into effect a couple of years ago has made a big difference," said John Novogrod of Kent, the president of Weantinoge's 12-member Board of Directors.
State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen), for example, has sought for about five years to have a referendum to allocate more funding to preserve farms in his district, which encompasses 15 municipalities in the western part of the state.
"It began here [in New Milford and Kent] and is now spreading throughout the county," Mr. Furhman said of Weantinoge's success.
"We have more resources and a more experienced staff than the individual town land trusts because we're so big, we've been around so long and we have a regional presence," Mr. Novogrod said.
Mrs. Furhman said that some of the properties are designated as conservation easements and others are donated as gifts.
"People are reaching out to us because they want to put their land into conservation and they know that we have a good track record," she said. "They also know that we have a full-time steward."
Ecologist Harry White of Colebrook, the other full-time staff member for Weantinoge, is primarily responsible for maintaining and improving the land trust's properties.
Mrs. Furhman said that Mr. White and Thomas McGowan of Litchfield, the land trust's conservation and planning director, have "been tremendous ambassadors" for Weantinoge.
Mr. McGowan had been the part-time executive director until the board upgraded the position to full time, and Mrs. Furhman began work a year ago this month.
"I've worked with them since I was involved in issues in the early 1980s," said Mrs. Furhman, who headed the Stop The Pipe effort to combat efforts by Iroquois Gas Transmission System to install its natural gas pipelines in open space in the area a generation ago.
She said she continued to have interaction with Weantinoge through the years, including her work with Power Alert, a grassroots organization that fought the Sempra energy project in New Milford, and, in more recent years, her activities with the HVA.
Mrs. Furhman said that a full-time executive director was required because of the "increase in the number of holdings and the administrative work that needs to be done."
Paula Bush of Torrington assists her in the office.
Mrs. Furhman said that she devotes considerable time to "development and fund-raising, as any nonprofit has to spend time on."
She said that Weantinoge has a dedicated group of donors" and that other monies come from fund-raisers, such as a cocktail party that was held last fall at the Smyrski Farm.
"Every year, we have to be out there" maintaining the properties, she said regarding some of the costs that Weantinoge incurs.
Mrs. Furhman said that, in some instances, the purchase or donation of open space may reduce taxes in a municipality.
For example, in 1999 Brookfield voters approved at referendum the purchase of the Burr and Happy Landings farms, in part, because if they were developed into housing there would be higher enrollments in the schools and taxes would increase.
"I think everybody looks at it that way," Mrs. Fuhrman said regarding the costs associated with putting housing on land.
"There are benefits to the town's keeping land," the executive director said.
Mrs. Furhman said that that land trusts in the area have benefited from the efforts of U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Cheshire), the congressman from the 5th District, who is chairman of the Open Space Caucus in the U.S. House.
He has said that Congress is providing more money through the Land Conservation and Water Fund, which had been underfunded for many years.
Mr. Murphy has said that federal monies would be available to help preserve parcels near Skiff Mountain in Kent and Sharon, as well as other locations in his district, which includes most of Litchfield County and part of the Greater Danbury area.
Mrs. Furhman said that, in some instances, the preservation of these lands helps to provide a glimpse of what the area was like when agricultural production was a major industry.
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