by Kimball Cartwright, Development Director
Squeaking in before the 2023 New Year, 86 acres of St. John farm in Jewett City were preserved forever. As human beings, our busy lives put pressure on us to make short-term decisions that save us time. But some things simply cannot be rushed – like developing relationships and trust. Fortunately for farmland in CT, CFT’s donor community shares that value, and allows us to show up with patience and persistence in our partnerships. I visited the Farm to get more of the story.
Walking down the road on a crisp December day along the wooden fence between Larry and Laurel St. John’s house and the St. John Farm barn, the first thing I heard from Larry was a deep breath, followed by: “There’s a peace to this open space.”
On Tuesday, December 20th, Larry and Laurel worked with Kathleen Doherty, CFT’s Conservation Manager, to finalize the process of preserving the Jewett City farm that had been in the family since 1941. Larry St. John’s grandparents operated a dairy farm, as did Larry’s father, before converting the farm to beef. More than three generations have grown up on the 86 acres of pasture and woods. Larry and Laurel now have young great grandchildren who will come to know the farm.
That Tuesday, I took a walking tour of the farm with Larry and Kathleen. Reflecting on his childhood at the farm, Larry mentioned how the land and caring for it became deeply part of himself:
“As a kid I was picking up rocks to clear the field, and I thought to myself even at the time ‘I’ll be damned if I put buildings where I’ve cleaned up all these rocks.’”
Larry wasn’t alone in his love for the soil. In the last six months of his life, Larry’s father repeatedly urged him, “Larry, take care of the farm.”
Larry promised he would.
“I’ve kept that promise,” Larry reflected, as he walked with Kathleen and me up to his barn. “The fields, woods, and animals, it all is more peaceful now knowing the land can only be used for farmland.” He added, “Our ashes will be laid to rest here.”
Preparation for farmland preservation takes time. One important step that Larry and Laurel took prior to CFT’s involvement was ensuring all the property lines and buildings matched with the legal documents. Another important consideration was the agricultural easement, the legal arrangement ensuring the property can only be used as farmland. The St. Johns were fortunate and generous enough to donate the easement to CFT. They also made a cash donation towards the long-term stewardship of the land at the same time.
Kathleen remarked that Larry and Laurel had already vetted us with friends and fellow farmers out in eastern CT, before making the decision to get in touch in 2022. CFT Board member Tim Slate played a key connecting role between Larry and CFT’s Executive Director Elisabeth Moore.
I asked Larry and Laurel what motivated them to involve CFT.
Laurel offered, of meeting Kathleen: “Kathleen’s words were ‘You love this land and we’ll make sure your wishes for it come true.’” Larry added “There was a calmness about Kathleen and I was very impressed with Elisabeth’s personal story for caring about farmland.”
My tour finished up with a walk by two large ponds Larry had constructed to mitigate seasonal flooding in the pasture that was surrounded by old stone walls. I remarked to him that I hadn’t seen such nicely kept stone walls on an active farm in a long time.
“I’ve kept my promise” Larry repeated.
