A Pajaro Valley farmer and philanthropist has set aside for conservation 364 acres of farmland used to grow raspberries and strawberries.
A Pajaro Valley farmer and philanthropist has set aside for conservation 364 acres of farmland used to grow raspberries and strawberries. The four plots, held by the Cooley family privately or by the Cooley Family Trust, have been in the family since 1851. The deal was made between the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the California Department of Conservation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Diane Porter Cooley, who owned the land, said that she wanted “to help protect this beautiful and productive valley for future generations.” It is not the first time she has set aside land in the Valley to protect it from developers. In 2002 and again in 2007, the Cooley family has donated hundreds of acres, all of them associated with the family’s deep roots in the valley. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
