The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank bought nearly 13 acres along the southern shore of Cape Pogue Bay earlier this month as part of an effort to preserve historic farmland on Chappaquiddick.
The nonprofit purchased what’s known as the Jeffers property at 3 Jeffers Lane on June 11 for $3 million. The acquisition is the first phase of the project, and the land bank is planning to buy another parcel to preserve 24 acres of Chappy farmland in total.
“Whenever the land bank is able to bring more agriculture to Martha’s Vineyard, it’s always a positive,” James Lengyel, the executive director of the land bank, said last week.
The land bank purchased the land from three descendants of Gerald (Jerry) Jeffers Sr., a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) who operated Chappaquiddick’s only auto repair shop and the Chappy Store.
The land bank plans to purchase the remaining 10.14 acres for $4 million in the fall. The land bank would lease the property out to someone else to farm, as it has done with other properties. Mr. Lengyel said the farmland could be ready for operation as soon as 2026.
“I think the land bank’s expectation here is that there’ll be at least some sort of grazing component, but the land bank will be open to any proposal that someone cares to make,” Mr. Lengyel said.
On the land is a small farmhouse that will remain for the new farmers, Mr. Lengyel said.
“What the land bank has learned is that the most effective farm leases are those that also include housing for the farmer,” Mr. Lengyel said. “This property is well suited to make that happen.”
The Chappy Store, the only convenience store on Chappaquiddick, still stands on a one-acre plot on the property. The land bank plans to sell that land to a nonprofit called the Chappaquiddick Community Fund.
The nonprofit was formed in 2015 to help Chappaquiddickers cover the cost of installation of wiring for Comcast service, and, after being idle for a number of years, coalesced around buying the store.
According to the community fund, the land bank can’t maintain the store under its charter.
The fund’s president Woody Filley said his nonprofit would not operate the store, but hoped to purchase the property to lease it to another entity.
So far, the owner of Blackbird Cafe has expressed interest. The non-profit is seeking input about how the island store can best serve the community moving forward.
The purchase price for the store lot would be $292,000, plus other funds for permits, utilities and building improvements.
The land bank asked the non-profit to make the store available to the community for at least six months during the year. Mr. Lengyel said there should also be at least one unit of affordable housing on the one-acre site.
This is the second land bank purchase of farmland on Chappaquiddick within the past year. The first was a joint-purchase of Pimpneymouse Farm, now called Trentfield Farm, with the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation in January.
“At a time where there’s so much development pressure, the idea that there’s a place where you can actually create new farmland is astonishing,” Mr. Lengyel said.
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