What Peconic Land Trust does

Peconic Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization incorporated in 1983 and headquartered in Southampton, New York. The Trust's core function is acquiring and stewarding land on Long Island through conservation easements, direct ownership, and farmland protection programs. Across its 42-year history, it has conserved more than 14,000 acres through over 550 individual projects and currently operates 120 nature preserves. Its public-facing portfolio includes Quail Hill Farm (a community-supported agriculture operation in its 39th season in Amagansett), Bridge Gardens (a public garden in Bridgehampton with a membership program), the Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold, and the 100-acre Broad Cove Preserve in Aquebogue.

The Trust generates operating revenue through three primary streams: charitable gifts and donations from supporters, payment for professional services rendered, and one-time proceeds from the sale of protected farmland to qualified farmers via a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. Its customer base spans three vertical segments: local farmers seeking access to conserved agricultural land, Long Island community members engaging with preserves and educational programming, and government partners (notably the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) collaborating on habitat restoration and grant-funded stewardship. Distribution is achieved through direct community engagement rather than traditional sales channels.

The Trust's go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on volunteer support, donor engagement, and event-based outreach (farm tours, bird walks, workshops) to advance its conservation mandate. There is no proprietary technology stack, software product, or AI component — the operating model is fundamentally physical-asset-based, centering on land tenure, easement enforcement, and on-the-ground stewardship of preserved acreage. Recent strategic emphasis has been on deepening habitat restoration work (notably at Broad Cove Preserve with 5,000+ native grass plugs and wildflowers planted) and expanding the protected-land footprint in partnership with state agencies.

Name

Peconic Land Trust

Legal name

Peconic Land Trust

Website

https://peconiclandtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peconic Land Trust is a 1983-founded nonprofit land trust that conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands, and heritage through conservation easements, owning 120 preserves across 14,000+ acres and serving farmers, local communities, and government partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK), Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Farmland preservation
• Conservation easements
• Habitat restoration
• Nature preserves

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Operating budget funded through charitable gifts from supporters and community members
2. Professional Services: Payment for professional services provided
3. Farmland Sales: Sale of protected farmland to qualified farmers through RFP process

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Peconic Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization that acquires and holds conservation easements on working farms, natural lands, and heritage sites across Long Island to prevent development. It sells protected farmland to qualified farmers through an RFP process, manages 120 nature preserves, and operates public-facing properties including a CSA, a public garden, an agricultural center, and a nature preserve. The organization's operating budget is funded through charitable donations, professional service fees, and farmland sales.

Product overview

Peconic Land Trust offers a portfolio of conservation services and public-facing properties. Core services include farmland conservation easements and land acquisition. Public offerings include Quail Hill Farm (CSA), Bridge Gardens, Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm, and Broad Cove Preserve. The organization has conserved more than 14,000 acres across 580 projects since 1983.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Protected more than 14,000 acres in over 550 individual projects

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York State Department of Environmental ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative habitat restoration and trail improvements at Broad Cove Preserve; conservation easement sales; invasive species grant funding; DEC Invasive Species Grant Program support
• Catapano Dairy FarmminorOthersSale of 6.88 acres of protected farmland in Southold Town to Erin and Connor Burke through RFP process

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit land trust that protects land for public access and community benefit; directly comparable business model of conservation easements, land acquisition, and public-facing preserves, though operating at much larger national scale.
• Scenic Hudson: Northeast regional land trust focused on the Hudson River Valley; comparable mission of farmland and natural land conservation, public preserve management, and state-agency partnerships — serving an adjacent but distinct geography from Peconic.
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Statewide Maine land trust managing preserves, conservation easements, and agricultural land; structurally comparable operating model — a regional land trust with public preserves, farmland programs, and long operating history.
• Open Space Institute: Northeast-focused land conservation organization acquiring and stewarding natural and scenic lands; comparable model of land acquisition, conservation easements, and partnerships with state agencies across the region.
• Group for the East End: Long Island East End environmental nonprofit focused on land preservation, water quality, and community conservation — the most direct geographic peer and likely collaborator/competitor for the same Long Island donor and acquisition base.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Large nonprofit focused on wetlands and waterfowl habitat conservation via land acquisition and easements; comparable model for habitat-focused conservation easement work though focused on wetlands rather than farmland.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global environmental nonprofit and land trust; comparable in core activity of land acquisition and conservation easement work, but operates at vastly greater scale and across geographies including Long Island/Suffolk County.
• National Audubon Society: National bird and habitat conservation nonprofit that manages sanctuaries and engages in habitat restoration — directly relevant given Peconic's Broad Cove Preserve addition to the NY State Birding Trail and habitat restoration work.

Regional players

• Mass Audubon: Massachusetts-based land conservation nonprofit managing wildlife sanctuaries, public preserves, and conservation easements; comparable nonprofit land trust model with public-facing properties and habitat programs, but operating in a different Northeast state.
• Save the Sound: Regional environmental organization focused on Long Island Sound watershed protection; comparable nonprofit, regional-scale, and Long Island-adjacent mission though more water-quality focused than land-conservation focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peconic Land Trust