A partnership deal has been struck that will see the historic 172-acre Lana Lobell Farm in northern New Jersey receive permanent protection. The farm is rich in Standardbred history, as it was where no less than four Hambletonian winners were bred.
On January 29, Somerset County purchased the farm’s development rights for $5.87 million, ensuring that the property will remain farmland forever. The land had been approved for a subdivision of nine estate homes in 2007, but never sold.
Speedy Crown (victorious in 1971), Steve Lobell (1976), Speedy Somoli (1978) and Mack Lobell (1987) were the Hambletonian winners that were bred at the farm.
Breeding operations at Lobell Farms came to an end in 1997, when the former owner filed for bankruptcy. It appeared as though Lana Lobell's days as a farm were numbered. The property changed hands twice, and one of the new owners had proposed a golf club, while the other proposed a residential development.
Somerset County, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (on behalf of Bedminster Township), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the New Jersey Agriculture Development Committee are the entities that have partnered on the multi-million-dollar deal.
In its heyday in the 1970s and '80s, Lana Lobell Farm was one of the nation's top producers of Standardbred racehorses. Its annual yearling sale attracted high-profile buyers from around the world.
"I am pleased to learn of the community's successful efforts to conserve the Lana Lobell Farm in Bedminster Township," Congressman Lance, who provided invaluable assistance to the project, has been quoted as saying. "The Lana Lobell Farm is beautiful property that holds a significant place in New Jersey's rich equine history."
(With files from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation)