Saratoga PLAN Protects Historic Farmland in Stillwater

STILLWATER — Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), a nonprofit land trust, announced on Tuesday that it will permanently protect 280 acres of agricultural land in the Town of Stillwater through a conservation easement with the owner of Questroyal North Farm, Barry Ostrager. The legal agreement ensures that the land will remain farmland forever, supporting the local agricultural community.

Questroyal North is a full-service breeding and mare boarding operation. The farm is home to Bucchero, currently the leading sire in New York, as well as Courageous Cat, a stallion with more than $10 million in progeny earnings.

Ostrager’s boarding operation continues the land’s agricultural legacy. The farmland has been used continuously for agriculture for over 250 years. Originally part of General Philip Schuyler’s Saratoga Patent, it later became the property of his daughter, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the widow of Alexander Hamilton.

“By permanently conserving Questroyal North Farm, we honor the rich agricultural history of the land, support the local farming economy, and connect the important landscapes that define our region,” said Robert Davies, executive director of Saratoga PLAN, in a statement. “This is a powerful example of how working together at the community level can create lasting benefits for future generations and make a broader positive impact that doesn’t stop at a line on a map.”