677 Acre Cresthaven Farm Permanently Preserved Permanently Protected

Grayson County, VA – December 31, 2025 — Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is proud to announce the permanent protection of Cresthaven Farm, a 677.7-acre working dairy farm in Grayson County. This easement marks LTV’s second Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) completed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It represents LTV’s first conservation easement in Grayson County, bringing the organization’s reach to 39 counties across Virginia.

Cresthaven Farm, just southwest of Galax, is one of the last operating dairy farms in the region and has been stewarded by the family for multiple generations. Today, two-thirds of the property is active farming land, supporting a thriving dairy operation with pastureland and crop fields for corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. The remaining one-third of the property is forested, providing important wildlife habitat. The farm also features more than a mile of streams and some of the best agricultural soils in Virginia.

“Protecting Cresthaven Farm means this land will remain farmland forever,” said Ashton Cole, Executive Director of Land Trust of Virginia. “This easement ensures the farm can continue producing food while also protecting clean water, open space, and the rural character that makes Grayson County so special.”

The conservation easement restricts future development on the property while allowing farming and forestry to continue. It also includes protections for stream buffers and natural resources, safeguarding the land’s long-term productivity and environmental health.

The Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) Program, through NRCS, helps land trusts, like LTV, partner with farmers to protect land highly valuable for agriculture. By blending federal funding with the landowner’s commitment, ALEs ensure the preservation of large, productive farms like Cresthaven.

With the addition of Cresthaven Farm, LTV has now permanently conserved more than 37,468 acres of farmland, forests, and historic landscapes across Virginia.

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