Council Authorizes Town Manager to Negotiate Lease with Future Fisher Farm Tenant

While the Simmons family's farm lease expires in Farmington on June 30, the tenant has decided to ride out the rest of his lease for the Avon portion of its land. 

Now that Farmington has narrowed the search for a new farmer down to a final candidate, the Town Council authorized Town Manager Brandon Robertson to begin negotiating with the top candidate once the details are finalized.

"The goal is to get a farmer in there that will be successful," Assistant Town Manager Steve Bartha said.

Ronald Simmons' lease with Avon ends Dec. 31, according to Bartha. Farmington's lease ended April 30, but the town extended it by a few months.

"The leases don't line up," Avon Assistant Town Manager Steve Bartha said. 

The intent in the future is to align the end date of the two towns' farm leases, he said.

Simmons has leased the Avon portion of the land since about 2003 but also farmed on the Fisher Farm property previously when it was still privately run. Avon renewed the lease when it expired the first time in 2008.

"We essentially have a $1 per year lease," Bartha said.

Simmons has one more planting of corn on the Avon land, which spans about 317 acres in total on the south side of Old Farms Road alone including forests that aren't "farmable," Bartha said. There is more land behind Fisher Meadows that's included in the lease.

Farmington manages the request for proposal process for the farm and was in strong communication with Avon officials throughout the search for a new tenant. Robertson has a seat on Farmington's farm subcommittee.

There were 15 applicants for the farm and the committee interviewed nine farmers, including the current tenant. Of three finalists chosen, but one did not clear the background check, Bartha said.