ALBION — Maine Farmland Trust will host an event celebrating farmland preservation in Kennebec County from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Misty Brook Farm, 156 Bog Road. Farm tours and hayrides will be offered prior to the event from 2 to 5 p.m. All members of the public are encouraged to attend. The event is free of charge.

Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide nonprofit organization working to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance farming in Maine.

Tuesday evening’s event will celebrate a program titled “Forever Farms.” “Forever Farms” is a way to celebrate the growing success of farmland protection efforts in Maine. More than 55 signs that read “Forever Farm” have been installed across the state on farmland that has been permanently protected through agricultural easements, according to a news release from the Maine Farmland Trust. Agricultural easements prevent the land from being developed for non-agricultural purposes and ensure the land will be forever available for farming.

Through this signage, a website, and 11 events across the state, Maine Farmland Trust and its partner organizations are raising public awareness about what already has been achieved in Maine, while generating excitement for future farmland protection projects.

Sixty-six farms are in the program, and participation is growing. About 200 farms are protected by agricultural easements in Maine.

Misty Brook Farm recently became a Forever Farm. Brendan and Katia Holmes purchased the farm earlier this year with the help of Maine Farmland Trust. The Trust helped line up a combination of state and federal grant funds to pay for an agricultural conservation easement, so that the Holmes could purchase the farm at a lower price.

“Maine Farmland Trust was great to work with,” said Katia Holmes. “They are the best land trust in the Northeast because their programs actually get farmers on the land,” she added.

This 412-acre Albion farm includes 200 acres of high-quality organic fields. The Holmeses raise their own Jersey dairy cows, beef cattle, draft horses, hogs, chicken, vegetables and grain. In May, they opened a farm store on the farm, began selling to local farmers’ markets, and operating their own community-supported agriculture operation.

The Forever Farm event will include prepared produce and grilled organic pork from Misty Brook Farm, organic grilled chicken of Tide Mill Farm in Edmunds, wine from Oyster River Winegrowers, of Thomaston, beer from Andrew’s Brewing Co., of Lincolnville, and ice cream provided by Gelato Fiasco, of Brunswick. The event will also include live music by Dog Wants Out, of Unity.

For more information about the Forever Farms program, visit www.foreverfarms.org; and to learn more about the trust, visit www.mainefarmlandtrust.org.