WILLIS TANNER FARMLAND PRESERVE

The Willis Tanner Farmland Preserve consists of 25 acres of beautiful farmland generously donated by Patricia Tanner Downes in 2017. It is named after her father, Willis Tanner, who served as Warren’s First Selectman from 1948-1979. It was under his tenure that the town acquired Warren Woods as well as the town beach on Lake Waramaug. 

The field, at one of the highest points in town, hosts prime farmland soils and is a foraging and nesting habitat for local avian life. Development rights were previously conveyed to the CT Department of Agriculture, and the property continues to be farmed, alternating between crops of hay and corn. 

Click the image to see a video of the property at sunset.

The Department of Agriculture and The Warren Land Trust permit public access on the Willis Tanner Preserve’s perimeter after final harvest in October and prior to spring planting in March. There is no public access during the farming season, to allow for farming operations and ensure public safety.