Welcome to the official website for the Save the Horse Farm campaign! To read a little about what has happened so far in the last five years, please click here.

April 2011 Update

In keeping with the vision advanced by the Save the Horse Farm organization, the Lafayette Consolidated Government City Council voted on April 7, 2011, to secure the $6 million in public funding for the purchase of the Horse Farm from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL)!

In conjunction with a $2 million donation from the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, the proposal entails dedicating $500,000 in this year's budget as a down payment towards purchasing the 100-acre property for use as a passive public greenspace.

The Horse Farm property has been appraised at $5.7 million. The purchase agreement involves giving ULL eight acres of property adjacent to campus for expansion, which not only benefits the university, but also further reduces the cost to the City. The negotiations will likely involve payments from the City to ULL over ten years.

Funds for the perpetual operation and maintenance of the property will be necessary. To this end, several chapters of the local Rotary Club have teamed up with the Community Foundation of Acadiana for a fundraising campaign to ensure that the land will never be a drain on the City, and will be self-sustained financially.

We have set up the Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund with the Community Foundation of Acadiana, so please consider making a tax-deductible financial contribution! You can send your check or money order to:

Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund
c/o Community Foundation of Acadiana
P.O. Box 3892
Lafayette, LA 70502-3892

Please put "Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund" in the memo line of your check or money order, and make the check out to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. You may call the CFA for more information at 337-266-2145.

Ideally, the Horse Farm will soon be open to the public as a new 100-acre passive park. Our vision is that it will be housed within the City's Community Development Department, and will be managed by a committee composed of various community members, including representatives from the Save the Horse Farm group, the Community Foundation of Acadiana, and TRAIL (Transportation and Recreation Alternatives in Louisiana).

Thanks so much for all the support so far, Acadiana - this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave a legacy for future generations of Acadiana residents, and you were part of making that happen! If you have questions or would like to get involved, please email horsefarm@gmail.com.

To read media coverage of the campaign, click here.

To read quotes from the community, click here.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

* Contact ULL President Dr. Joseph Savoie

President's Office
P.O. Box 41008
Lafayette, LA 70504-1008
president@louisiana.edu

* Contact City-Parish President Joey Durel

P.O. Box 4017-C
Lafayette, LA 70502
(337)291-8300
president@lafayettegov.net

* Write to your Editor:

The Independent
The Advocate
The Daily Advertiser

* Host a Horse Farm Presentation
(click here for more information)

* SIGN THE PETITION
(click here to sign and view petition)

This campaign would not have been possible without the significant support from SPEAK, the Society for Peace, Environment, Action & Knowledge, a student organization at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.