Wilcox Family Protects Farmland in Mount Morris and Leicester

Hillcrest Farm, a commodity crop and beef operation managed by Bob Wilcox and owned with his wife Liz, is now protected farmland thanks to Bob and Liz’s work with Genesee Valley Conservancy.

A total of 767 acres of farmland across Mount Morris and Leicester are now protected forever for agricultural use. 

The farm began in 1976 with Bob Wilcox and his uncle working 100 acres in the Town of Mount Morris.  The operation has grown and changed over the years.  Today, Bob runs over 800 acres of owned and rented ground across multiple towns.

The soils of Hillcrest Farm make the farmland valuable to protect for continued agricultural use.  Hillcrest Farm has placed 1st in the National Corn Growers Association’s National Yield Contest for sweet corn, growing 330 bushels per acre.  The farmland protected is 59% USDA Prime soil.

Over the years, Bob has worked to lower the costs of running the business while also improving yields.  In 2008, the farm switched to a no tillage model, which helped increased yields while decreasing the time and energy needed to work the fields.  More recently, GPS technology has been outfitting on the farm equipment to help increase the precision of the work; planting, adding soil inputs, and harvesting. 

This project was the first farmland protection project in Mount Morris.  Four conservation easements now protect 547 acres in the town.  In Leicester, this project adds a conservation easement and 220 acres of protected farmland to the town, which has seen many previous farmland protection projects.  The Hillcrest Farm parcel is the 17th farmland conservation easement in Leicester.

Significantly, the acreage protected in Leicester is a perfect ‘puzzle piece’ as it is completely surrounded by previously protected farmland.  These previous protection efforts took place thanks to four different farmland protection projects.

The land in Mount Morris is not without its own benefits of enhancing previous conservation work.  One parcel sits directly adjacent to Letchworth State Park, adding protections along 4,250 feet of the Park’s boundary.

The Hillcrest conservation project was the first in Mount Morris and resulted in the first four conservation easements within the town.  In Leicester, this is the 8th farmland protection project, which resulted in the 17th conservation easement in the town.  The Conservancy has now accepted 135 conservation easements since its founding in 1990.  The total land protected via Genesee Valley Conservancy is now 33,555 acres as the organization kicks off its 34th year of operations.

Lands protected as part of this project include over 4.4 miles of scenic road frontage which will remain as intact vistas of the rural, agricultural landscape that defines the regions rural and agricultural character.

This project was the result of a collaboration between Genesee Valley Conservancy, Livingston County Board of Supervisors, Livingston County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, Town of Mount Morris, Town of Leicester, and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. 

To-date, the collaborative effort between Genesee Valley Conservancy and local partners has resulted in more than $40 million invested in protecting 22,756 acres of some of the State’s most productive agricultural lands, right here in the Genesee Valley.

This farmland protection project was made possible by funding from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and contributions from the landowners.

The town boards of Mount Morris and Leicester each endorsed this project.  Both towns have long range plans to help ensure productive soil resources within their towns remain available for continued agricultural use as part of the regions agricultural economy.

Genesee Valley Conservancy works throughout the Genesee River watershed to protect high quality habitat, open space and farmland for the community.  The Conservancy now oversees the protection of 33,555 acres.

Landowners in the Genesee River watershed interested in pursuing conservation options for their property, be it farmland, habitat, or a potential public nature preserve, should contact Genesee Valley Conservancy for more information.

Workshops for farmland owners in Livingston and Wyoming counties interested in the program used by Hillcrest Farm to protect their land have been scheduled for April of 2024.  For dates and times and to RSVP please visit: www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org/farmland

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Genesee Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited non-profit conservation organization working to protect the habitat, open space and farmland in the Genesee River watershed.  Over 33,555 acres of natural habitat and productive farm and forest land have been conserved by Genesee Valley Conservancy with private landowners.  The organization also owns nature preserves open to the public year-round for recreation and education.  For more information visit www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org