106 Acres Permanently Protected at Blue Moon Berry Farm in Warner, NH
Photo by Jeff Evans, Five Rivers Conservation Trust
March 17, 2025 – Five Rivers Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the permanent conservation of the 106-acre Blue Moon Berry Farm at Waldron Hill in Warner, NH.
Blue Moon Berry Farm is a pick-your-own blueberry farm located close to the top of Waldron Hill, at the end of Waldron Hill Rd. in Warner, NH. This completed project helps expand a large, contiguous block of other important conservation land in the Mink Hills of Warner, which now totals over 2,200 acres. Comprised of both important farmland and rich, stream-laden forests, Blue Moon Berry Farm has been in continuous production as a U-pick berry farm under several consecutive owners and names since the 1960s. It is a highly visible and much-loved family business throughout the region and attracts customers who return annually.
The owners, Jan Gugliotti and Barb Dieckman, bought the property in 2000 with the goal of preserving its agricultural resources, protecting it from future development and ensuring its long-term viability as a farm. Twenty-five years later, their commitment remains strong. This dedication is shared by their daughters Heidi Crozer and Gretchen Bux, whose families continue to help with the work required to maintain the farm and its nearly 3,000 blueberry bushes.
Conservation of Blue Moon Berry Farm is the culmination of a multi-year effort by Five Rivers to raise the necessary funds and finalize the purchase of the easement. In addition to the landowners’ generous donation of over half the value of the conservation easement, this project was made possible by significant contributions from the Town of Warner Conservation Commission; grant awards from the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the New Hampshire Farm Future Fund, and the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; as well as over $11,000 in donations from community supporters.
Three years ago Warner residents voted in favor of using funds administered by the town’s conservation commission to protect Blue Moon Berry Farm, one of the Town’s few remaining working farms, and its rich natural resources. “Blue Moon Berry Farm is a beautiful hilltop open space worth saving in Warner,” said Nancy Martin, chair of the Warner Conservation Commission. “The farm is now one of several conserved working farms in our town. In the future, Blue Moon Berry Farm will grow to provide more jobs and bring visitors to town to help support our local economy.“
The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) is an independent state authority providing matching grants to New Hampshire’s municipalities and non-profits, helping to preserve the state’s most important natural, cultural, and historic resources and ensure their contribution to the economy, environment, and quality of life in New Hampshire. Since 2000 LCHIP has awarded 589 grants, investing $62 million in 200 NH communities to help conserve 241,000 acres of land and rehabilitate 172 historic structures. Learn more about how LCHIP is helping to preserve and protect New Hampshire’s heritage at LCHIP.org, by following LCHIP_NH on Instagram, or Facebook.
Pictured from left to right:
Michael Amaral, Warner Conservation Commission; Jan Gugliotti, landowner; Barb Dieckman, landowner (Barb explains her orange hair was thanks to a recent theatrical performance); Amy Manzelli, BCM Environmental & Land Law; Jeff Evans, Five Rivers Director of Conservation; Liz Short, Five Rivers Executive Director; Ginger Marsh, Sugar River Bank; Paula Bellemore, Executive Director, LCHIP. Not pictured is Five Rivers’ attorney Lisetta Silvestri, Ransmeier and Spellman.
