A Dedication to Conserving: Land Protection & The Monadnock Conservancy

Of all the amazing things about the Monadnock region, our access to working farms, and the food our local farmers grow and raise, is top of the list. The Monadnock Conservancy, along with so many other hardworking organizations, is dedicated to helping to conserve and forever protect these fragile and vital spaces. These spaces are fragile because, especially in terms of growing food, not all soil is created equally – some lands have better soil for farming thanks to ancient glaciers and riverbeds which left rich and fertile soil behind. Protecting those spaces requires vigilance and action, as once soil is paved over, or if farming infrastructure is allowed to atrophy, it is lost forever.

There are many projects, both finished and ongoing, that give us hope for the future of farming in the Monadnock region. In Walpole, Pete’s Stand has operated for three generations and is a beloved and iconic part of the Walpole community. In 2023, the Janiszyn family worked with the Conservancy to conserve 7.3 acres of highly productive farmland along the Route 12 corridor, which boasts some of the most productive and fertile farmland in the region. However, much of this fragile land has disappeared due to commercial development. By purchasing an easement on this property (along with generous funding support from the New Hampshire Farm Future Fund, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Thomas W. Haas Fund, and many private donors), the Monadnock Conservancy helped support the economic viability, and continued local presence, of Pete’s Stand.

Image Credit: Monadnock Conservancy. Pete's Farm, a certified organic farm

In Winchester, Picadilly Farm is a certified organic farm that sells directly to local stores, including the Monadnock Food Coop and the Brattleboro Food Coop, among others. In 2024, the Conservancy finalized the purchase of a conservation easement on 21.9 acres of the farm (in addition to the 46 acres previously conserved), which includes 14 acres of "prime" farmland soil, a designation reserved for the most fertile soil in the nation.  The Conservancy’s Land Protection team also included a special provision designed to support farming in the Monadnock region into the future. Under the terms of the deed, if the farm ever goes up for sale outside the owner's family and to a non-farmer, the Conservancy will have the right to purchase the property at its reduced "agricultural value" and resell it to a farmer who will continue to operate it as a commercial farm. The purpose of this provision is to ensure the land stays in production and remains affordable to future farmers. This wouldn’t have been possible without the funders who supported the project, including the USDA’s Agricultural Land Easement program, the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund, The New Hampshire Farm Future Fund, and more than 85 individual donors.

Image Credit: Monadnock Conservancy. Pete's Farm, a certified organic farm

To paraphrase an old saying, it takes a village to protect farmland. From the donors and funders who support this work and the shoppers who go out of their way to buy from local farms, to the many local organizations who prioritize farmland conservation, we are all lucky to live in a place that loves its farmers and the land they need to work