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Conway, NH – The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust purchased a conservation easement on the Lucy Brook Farm earlier this month. Near the foot of Cathedral Ledge, this land includes over 3,000 feet of frontage along Lucy Brook and the Saco River. The farm also boasts a high-yield aquifer, important agricultural soils, and connectivity to other conserved lands. This corner of Conway was settled by the John Lucy family in the early 1800’s, and many of his descendants (including the Gaudettes) still live on and farm the land. This conservation easement will allow the farm to remain intact for future generations. We thank the Gaudette family for their vision, passion, and stewardship of the land.

“We offer our profound thanks to all the funders who made this project happen, as well as to the Gaudette family for their generosity and patience,” said the Land Trust’s President, Doug Burnell. “We first started talking with the Gaudettes more than four years ago about their conservation options and future vision for their land.  The conservation of their iconic farm is finally a reality, and it is now protected as farmland for generations to come, in perpetuity.”

This project was made possible with support from The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program; The New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund; The NH State Conservation Commission Moose Plate Grant; The Town of Conway; an anonymous family foundation; and several donors who are dedicated to sustainable agriculture. In addition, the Gaudette family was instrumental in getting the project accomplished, both through their patience and by taking a reduction in the sales price of the easement.

Photo of the Gaudette family at Lucy Brook Farm by Cheryl Senter, courtesy of the NH Charitable Foundation