 were the most in a single calendar year since the farmland preservation program was established back in 1978. Those 23 farm parcels spanned a total of 1,500 acres. A total of $10 million was actually spent to acquire the conservation easements, according to the reports, 51% from the state, 47% from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and 2% from local nonprofits and community land trusts.