Dick and Peggy Ann Kuss didn’t grow up on farms — but that didn’t stop them from becoming farmers.
In their late 30s, the couple shifted careers from running a school bus business to pursuing Dick’s lifelong dream of working the land.
“From a young age, I knew that I wanted to farm,” Dick said. The Kusses balanced their business with farming—growing hay during the summer and gradually acquiring farmland across Woodbury and Bethlehem.
Peggy passed away in 2021 and Dick continues to honor her love of the farm by continuing their high-end hay operation and is committed to preserving the land they built together.
Over the past several years, Dick has already protected four parcels of farmland, with more in the pipeline. For the most recent two parcels, we worked alongside the State of Connecticut to secure matching funds from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and now share stewardship of those permanently protected lands.
“Dick is a committed and conservation-minded farmer who works tirelessly to maintain his farm,” said our Executive Director, Elisabeth Moore. “Thanks to his foresight, these lands will stay in agriculture and could one day support the next generation of farmers.”
We believe Connecticut has a unique opportunity to preserve farmland that not only honors a community’s agricultural legacy but also creates space for new and innovative farmers to grow. While land access remains one of the biggest challenges for beginning farmers, landowners like Dick—and supporters like you—are helping change that.
“There are a lot of young people with an interest in farming,” Dick said. “But they can’t farm because there’s no land available for them. Maybe young people can use this farm in the future.”
With federal funding currently in flux, we are assessing local funding and state funding options, including community donations and donated conservation easements.
Over the next several years we will be assisting local farmers throughout the state to conserve additional lands, identify opportunities for innovation and farm viability, and promote our state’s agricultural economy. It’s community support that makes this possible and will keep Connecticut’s agricultural future growing strong.