HAUPPAUGE – Suffolk County and Brookhaven town officials have announced plans to preserve almost 30 acres of farmland in East Moriches.

Through a multi-jurisdictional agreement, Suffolk County and Brookhaven Town have pooled their resources to fund the full cost of acquiring the development rights of the Cuomo Family Farm in East Moriches – costing approximately $5.24 million. Suffolk County will take the lead and fund 70 percent of the preservation cost of the farm – roughly $3.67 million – through its Quarter-cent Drinking Water Protection Program, while Brookhaven Town chips in the remaining 30 percent -- $1.57 million.

The county legislature approved the county’s share of the purchase.

By purchasing the farm’s development rights, Suffolk County is preventing any potential developers from ever buying the land for anything other than farming; while the current owners of the property still own the land and can turn a profit from the crops it produces.