Five Rivers 2022 Recap
The year 2022 was another exciting and fulfilling one for Five Rivers Conservation Trust. Conservation successes include the addition of three major properties – The Vegetable Ranch in Warner, Wyman Farm in Loudon, and Sloping Acres Farm in Canterbury. Our 2022 news includes the addition of Jeff Evans as our first Director of Conservation and the awarding of a significant LCHIP grant to conserve Blue Moon Berry Farm in Warner. Read more details below.
January – Sloping Acres Farm in Canterbury was conserved. The Canterbury community has a long history of conservation and interest in agriculture and the town’s Conservation Commission strongly supported this project. With the farm conserved, brothers Peter and Eric Glines, the fifth generation of Glines farmers, can continue to raise their cattle, provide milk wholesale to Hood in Concord, and sell their sustainably raised beef directly to customers and through the Canterbury Country Store.
February – Jeff Evans became our first Director of Conservation. Jeff earned his Ph.D. in Entomology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Michigan State University. His research on the biology and management of invasive species and agricultural weeds gives him a valuable perspective on the conservation challenges and opportunities on Five Rivers’ conserved lands.
March – On a beautiful day in March, members of Five Rivers’ Events and Land Protection/Stewardship Committees strapped on their snowshoes to lead a group on a trek through the Janeway Conservation Area in Webster. A huge thank you to Betsy Janeway for welcoming our group onto her property.
April – Conservationist Chris Kane completed an ecological inventory of the Armstrong Family Forest in Concord, which identified flora, fauna, natural habitats, and cultural features. Having an ecological inventory report will help us plan how to manage the property going forward — where to site potential trails and identify the many features we may highlight for education.
August – Wyman Farm in Loudon was conserved. Judith Wyman Merrow was the sixth generation of the Wyman family to own the property since 1780. It was Judy’s wish that the farm be conserved, and on her passing in January, son Jim Polley worked with Five Rivers to honor his family’s longtime stewardship for the land and ensure its integrity is upheld in perpetuity.
September – Five Rivers hosted our 2022 Annual Celebration, this year at the unique, beautiful, and historic Sanborn Mills Farm in Loudon. The afternoon featured updates from Five Rivers, live music by Celtic fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and tours of the grounds, sawmill, grist mill, and blacksmith shop.
September – After a multi-month rain delay, Five Rivers held another Evening Yoga event at Dimond Hill Farm. About 40 people at various levels of experience and ability experienced an evening of gentle flow yoga taught by David Breen and Laurie Farmer of Sharing Yoga in Concord.
November – The 118-acre Vegetable Ranch in Warner was conserved. This organic farm was founded by Larry Pletcher, who passed away before the was completed. Larry’s daughter, Jenn, continued to work with Five Rivers to complete the conservation process. Jenn now owns and operates the Vegetable Ranch, feeding people throughout the Merrimack River Valley, from the Concord Farmer’s Market to Concord Hospital, Warner Local Market, and Whole Foods in Bedford and Nashua.
December – Five Rivers was awarded a $118,000 grant from LCHIP to help conserve Blue Moon Berry Farm. This property, perched on Waldron Hill in Warner, has been in continuous operation as a u-pick berry farm since the 1960s. It is a treasured local resource, well-known and loved by residents and surrounding communities.
