Five Rivers Announces 90-Acre Potter Farm in Concord Conserved
August 12, 2024 – Five Rivers Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the permanent conservation of the 90-acre Potter Farm on Oak Hill Road in Concord.
Cynthia Potter Johnson led the family effort to sell the conservation easement for the Potter Farm to Five Rivers. She has fond memories of growing up on the farm and succinctly sums up her reason for seeking a conservation easement: “For my father.” During America’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976, Cynthia’s parents, Pete and Regina Potter, were recognized as a Bicentennial Farm Family, honoring their ownership of a “farm which has been retained in the same family for at least 200 years.” Proud of her father and the more than 200-year Potter farming legacy, Cynthia hopes the easement will give future generations the opportunity to farm the land as well.
When Cynthia looked for a way to preserve her family’s farm, Beth Fenstermacher, Director of Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives for the City of Concord, understood the importance of the Potter property for Concord and, working as the staff liaison for the Conservation Commission, helped design the conservation easement with Five Rivers.
Upon finalizing the easement today, Beth states, “Conserving the Potter Farm has been a priority for the City of Concord for many years. In addition to supporting the family’s desire to continue the agricultural use, this easement will protect shoreland habitat, forested habitat, and protect the scenic vistas to Turtle Pond.”
About 56 acres of the farm are forested and used for maple sugaring and timber; an additional 27 acres, which abut Turtle Pond (also known as Turtletown Pond), are open fields used for cultivating hay and produce. Dave Potter, Cynthia’s nephew, grows vegetables and berries for retail sale in the Potter farm stand, which offers cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, summer and winter squash, pumpkins and potatoes from his expansive gardens. Dave also produces maple sugar products, including a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of a multi-year effort by Five Rivers to raise the necessary funds and finalize the purchase of the conservation easement. Five Rivers’ executive director Liz Short has helped guide the project over the last three years with assistance from current staff and numerous volunteers. “Conserving Potter Farm has been a long time in coming through the efforts of many individuals,” said Liz. “Through it all, Cynthia was really the driving force that got us across the finish line. Her vision and determination to see her family’s farm permanently protected underlies everything we’ve done.” The project was made possible by several critical national, state, and community funding partners. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement Program and the City of Concord each paid 50% of the easement’s purchase price. In addition, the City of Concord paid for the survey and required appraisals, two important elements of the project. Other funding partners include: the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee “Moose Plate” Conservation Grant Program; and the Merrimack Conservation Partnership.
Beth Fenstermacher concludes: “I am so pleased that we were able to partner with Five Rivers Conservation Trust, NRCS, and most importantly, the Potter Family, to protect this historic agricultural property.”
