The Piscataquog Land Conservancy is thrilled to announce the completion of our eighteen-month campaign to conserve Clarkridge Farm, a historic hilltop farm located along the General John Stark Scenic Byway (Rt. 13) in Goffstown. Sixty-nine acres of the farm are now permanently protected by a conservation easement that includes hayfields, hardwood and pine forest, and a large wetland.
The farm has been owned and operated by members of the Clark/King family for over one hundred years, and currently produces grass-fed beef, pastured pork, maple syrup and timber. The land protected by PLC’s easement includes a fifteen-acre pasture that had historically been part of the farm but was sold off more than two decades ago. In early 2022, the family got the opportunity to purchase it back and prevent it from being sold for development. The land had already been subdivided by the seller into five house lots. The sale of the conservation easement to PLC allowed the family to recoup the funds they borrowed to purchase the subdivided land.
Speaking for the family, Dan King said “adding this piece of land back into the farm keeps so many doors open as we move into the future and we’re so thankful to all the support from so many different people within the family and our community. We are humbled and honored by the chance to help protect the ecological integrity and the agricultural viability of our little corner of Goffstown. We can’t thank PLC enough!”
PLC ultimately raised $616,000 in public and private funds to complete the Clarkridge Farm project, anchored by two large state grants: $300,000 from the State of New Hampshire’s Aquatic Resources Mitigation (ARM) fund, and $200,000 from the state’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP).
“The Clarkridge Farm project is a prime example of successful funding collaboration to protect significant ecological resources and sustain continued agriculture use,” said Emily Nichols of the NH Department of Environmental Services. “The flexibility of the landowner and ingenuity of PLC led to a conservation easement that aligns with the NHDES ARM’s mitigation obligations and ensures the protection of noteworthy aquatic resources in perpetuity.“
“Those who travel the General John Stark Scenic Byway from Goffstown center to Dunbarton know this picturesque farm as one of the byway’s most scenic locations, but they may not realize that it is also one of the last working farms in Goffstown,” remarked Paula Bellemore, executive director of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). “LCHIP is pleased to support PLC in conserving this productive and scenic landscape, which has produced local food and fiber for well over 100 years”.
Additional funding for the project came from the Town of Goffstown’s conservation fund, the state’s Conservation License Plate grants program, and the Merrimack Conservation Partnership, a conservation collaborative administered by the Forest Society. Several private foundation grants and local grassroots fundraising rounded out the funding.
PLC Land Protection Specialist Tom Jones said “the family and PLC both took a big leap of faith on this project, and it is rewarding to see the incredible support that came together to conserve this beautiful place.”
Clarkridge Farm was a true all hands-on deck effort, and PLC wishes to acknowledge the contributions of past and current staff members Laura Weit Marcum, Jill Ketchen and Dan Ewald to its success. Thanks also to David Nieman and the Goffstown Conservation Commission for their help bringing town funding to the project, and to the many friends, family and neighbors who made personal contributions to the Clarkridge campaign.
