The Housatonic River floodplain is the main riparian, transportation, agricultural and commercial corridor of Sheffield, whose land trust is one of the most energetic and successful in the state. SLT’s mission — to “protect the land essential to Sheffield’s natural, scenic, agricultural and rural character” — is broad, because Sheffield has broad resources. It has the largest concentration of working farms in Berkshire County. Its western side has unusual limestone bedrock and calcareous wetlands, supporting the state’s highest concentration of rare and endangered terrestrial species, making it one of The Nature Conservancy’s “Last Great Places.” SLT was formed in the late 1980s, when a few citizens banded together to save a farm from urban development. Since then it has helped protect over 3,400 acres of farmland, wildlife habitat and recreational areas. Its educational program partners with the school district, and includes an agricultural internship program, wherein kids earn school credits by working on local farms, learning the land as well as the business. From such solid accomplishments, SLT has gained broad community support: one in four households and businesses are members. And since Sheffield is valuable to Massachusetts, shouldn’t Massachusetts donors help, too?