Latest news with #Kestrel
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vollinger Farm in Northampton permanently conserved with first-of-its-kind federal funding
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – One of Northampton's largest remaining unprotected farms has been permanently conserved, thanks to a groundbreaking approach to federal conservation funding. Mass. officials support local farms during National Dairy Month Kestrel Land Trust announced the preservation of 122 acres of the 217-acre Vollinger Farm, ensuring the land remains dedicated to agriculture and wildlife habitat. Located on North Farms Road, the property faces a higher risk of development than farmland in the floodplains of the Connecticut River. Recognizing its ecological and agricultural importance, landowner Robert 'Bob' Vollinger partnered with Kestrel Land Trust for more than five years to make conservation a reality. 'This complex process to become qualified for and hold an Agricultural Land Easement required a steep learning curve for everyone involved,' said Mark Wamsley, Kestrel's Conservation Director. The project marks the first time Kestrel has held a federally funded easement, made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Kestrel participated in the program with The Nature Conservancy and other partners to access funding under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program's Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) component. 'ACEP-ALE aims to protect the long-term viability of the nation's food supply by preventing the conversion of productive farmland to non-agricultural uses,' said Rita Thibodeau, NRCS Massachusetts Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. 'The program supports preserving high-quality agricultural soils, maintaining the integrity of working farms, and ensuring that land remains in private ownership while under conservation protection.' While Massachusetts commonly uses the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program to conserve farmland, the Vollinger Farm project used a different path. The RCPP version of ALE promotes innovation, enabling conservation of both farmland and critical wildlife habitat—a dual purpose well-suited to the mix of open fields and woodlands on the property. In total, the RCPP contributed $749,500 in federal funding. Mass Audubon's Catalyst Fund added $100,000 to the project. Another 80 acres of the farm are currently protected under the state's Farm Viability Program, which funded barn renovations for Vollinger. Vollinger Farm, which has been in the family for three generations, sits next to the Broad Brook–Fitzgerald Lake Greenway, the largest conservation area in Northampton. The farm once focused on dairy but has evolved under Bob Vollinger's stewardship to produce hay, raise beef cows, and grow seasonal crops like squash, mums, and Christmas trees. 'Conserving the farm was always my goal,' Vollinger said. 'Now it will also help me plan for the future and contribute to my retirement. I'm looking forward to spending more time on the farm and being out on the land in the coming years.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
122 acres of Vollinger Farm in Northampton conserved for ag, wildlife
NORTHAMPTON — More than half of the Vollinger Farm has permanently protected for agriculture and wildlife habitat, the Kestrel Land Trust announced Thursday. A total of 122 acres of the 217-acre farm on North Farms Road will be preserved. The trust said the land was at much higher risk for development than farms in the Connecticut River floodplains. Farm owner Robert 'Bob' Vollinger had been working with the trust on the project for about five years, the trust said. This also is the first time that the trust is the holder of a federally funded easement. 'This complex process to become qualified for and hold an Agricultural Land Easement required a steep learning curve for everyone involved,' said trust Conservation Director Mark Wamsley in a statement. The easement aims to protect the long-term viability of the nation's food supply by preventing the conversion of productive farmland to non-agricultural uses, the trust said. Many farms in Western Massachusetts are prime wildlife habitat, providing land and water for many wild creatures. This farm is next to a city-owned conservation area, which supports similar habitats. The Regional Conservation Partnership program provided $749,500 in funding, while Mass Audubon's Catalyst Fund provided an additional $100,000. Another 80 acres is temporarily enrolled in the state's Farm Viability Program, which provided funding for Vollinger to renovate one of his barns. Kestrel hopes to protect that land permanently in the future. The Vollingers have owned the land — hayfield, woods, pasture and crop fields — for three generations. It's next to the Broad Brook-Fitzgerald Lake Greenway, the largest conservation area in Northampton. 'Conserving the farm was always my goal. Now it will also help me plan for the future and contribute to my retirement. I'm looking forward to spending more time on the farm and being out on the land in the coming years,' Vollinger said in the statement. Kestrel Land Trust is a nonprofit group based in Amherst that conserves and cares for forests, farms, and riverways in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts. Visit to learn more. Read the original article on MassLive.
Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Predatory firms are circling Kestrel and Kinsale Capital
Bigger predators are sniffing around the independent wealth management and financial services sector looking for deals. Just weeks after I revealed that Rory Gillen's GillenMarkets was attracting interest, Quilter swooped to buy it. I hear that John Crowe's Kestrel and Gearoid Doyle's Kinsale Capital may also be on the target lists of bigger players. Crowe and his team are highly regarded in the industry, and he runs a tight ship at Kestrel. A core part of Doyle's business is the Compass fund, which is run by the star fund manager Peter Kinney. The fund has absolutely shot out the lights in recent years. I believe both firms also have access to the global bank UBS and its wealth management offering. I hear that a valuation
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Expect drones, pyrotechnics and explosions as film crew comes to Cambridge
People in Cambridge may hear explosions and gunfire next week as crews prepare to begin filming in the city. According to a news release, the cast and crew are part of a project known as 'Kestrel.' Production crews commonly use alternative titles to keep the movie or series a secret. Crews will prepare for the film shoot on Sunday, May 18 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Monday, May 19 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The filming dates are set for the following Tuesday and Wednesday before things wrap up on Thursday and Friday. During the shoot, there will be intermittent traffic delays along Main Street, Water Street and some surrounding areas. Equipment will also be parked in the north section of the Water Street North Parking Lot, the south section of the Wellington South Parking Lot and the Churchill Pavilion Parking Lot. When filming begins, people in the area may also see pyrotechnics and drones, or hear electronic gunfire and explosions. Some exterior scenes may also include graphic content.
The Drive
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
We're so Back: New Jeep Gladiator Mail Truck Revives the Iconic Postal Jeep
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Old postal Jeeps aren't worth much. So many of them were built, and so many of them were trashed, that they weren't even a dime a dozen. Shoot, they were more like a nickel a dozen. That's not the case with this new Jeep Gladiator mail carrier built by step van outfitter Morgan Olson, though. Just look at it! It's a Gladiator pickup with the back chopped off, and in place of the rear seats and bed, you'll find a versatile service box. Morgan Olson officially calls it the Kestrel work truck after a breed of falcon, but it'll always be a postal Jeep to me. The service box comes in different configurations, but no matter what, it's made of aluminum. Morgan Olson says that helps it stay close to the weight of a stock Gladiator, so somewhere around 5,000 pounds. That also means it achieves a max payload capacity of 1,700 pounds—just 25 pounds short of what you can load into a normal Sport S trim. The 137-inch wheelbase is also identical to a factory-fresh Jeep, though the overall length is eight inches shorter at 210 inches from nose to tail. And before you ask, yes, Morgan Olson can build it in right-hand drive. Morgan Olson A Jeep Gladiator Forum member who goes by TheDerb claims the target starting price is under $80,000. For context, the Gladiator Sport S starts at $43,295, so the service body comes just shy of doubling the price. I'll leave you to decide whether or not that's a good deal, but keep in mind that this was always going to cost more than tossing on a bed topper and calling it 'dry storage.' There's multi-level shelving, easy access from both sides of the box as well as at the back, and all the service body doors roll up instead of opening out, so you get the full tactile experience of being a mail carrier. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes to use a Gladiator for rural package deliveries. It's one of the few midsize pickups left that you can still get without a turbocharged engine, and it's barebones simple inside. The hand-crank windows are out for 2025, however, which is kinda sad. At least you can blast your tunes through the Bluetooth infotainment, and if the weather calls for it, take off the doors for easy in-and-out. I just might have to become a mailman. Morgan Olson Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@ From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
