At a dairy and beef farm in Hadley, Massachusetts, 123 acres of farmland has been permanently protected from development. Hadley borders Amherst. A photo of the farm is below. The farm is at 172 Hockanum Road and has a store that is open to the public. This environmental victory was made possible by www.KestrelTrust.org.

Most people who live in the Valley need a car to get to work or school, and to go shopping or visit friends.

Garmisch is a town in Germany with a population of about 26,000. It is surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of farmland and mountains covered in forest and criss-crossed by hiking trails. Almost every home in the area is within walking distance of downtown stores and offices, schools, and the train station, which has hourly fast service to other small towns and to the nearest big city, Munich. For this reason, people who live in Garmisch – and in most rural areas of Europe – don't need to own a car.

Kestrel Trust also protects forests in the Valley from development. Most of the money for protecting farmland and forestland in the USA comes from the state and federal government. Politicians decide how much to invest in land protection, versus war.

photo by Sandra Pipczynski