Farmland Partners completes land conservation project in Virginia

Farmland Partners announced that they recently completed the final stage of a three-part conservation transaction along a vital migratory bird pathway in Virginia. FPI agreed in 2021 to sell DU approximately 1,268 acres of farmland adjacent to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge – land that DU has prioritized for restoration and habitat protection. The unique multi-year, staged transaction provided DU maximum flexibility to secure capital for the project. The final sale consisted of more than 400 acres. “We were pleased to be able to work with our partners at Farmland Partners and look at their portfolio to see where the farmland they owned happened to be in critical conservation areas,” explained DU CEO Adam Putnam. “The parcel that bubbled to the top of that priority list was the Great Dismal Swamp.” “We purchased the farm in 2015 and were thrilled to have an opportunity to work with DU to protect the land for years to come,” said Luca Fabbri, FPI’s President and CEO. “This was a special transaction for our Company because it benefitted the environment and was profitable for our shareholders at the same time.”