Haynes Dairy Conserved

haynesclosingcroppedJohn and Beth Haynes have a commitment to land stewardship that goes way back. In 1993, they bought the 154-acre farm where John grew up with seven other siblings.  From the start, they always allowed their cows to pasture, a practice that made for an easy transition to organic certification in 2007. They’ve won numerous awards for their conservation practices and strong farm management. So it’s no wonder that when they began thinking about retirement, they wanted to conserve their land and keep it in farming.

haynesdairyUVLT successfully sought funding from USDA’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, and grants from private foundations including the 1772 Foundation and the Thomas Haas Foundation of the NH Charitable Foundation to purchase a conservation easement from the Haynes.

The property is a classic hill farm located on Moody Hill in Claremont, next to the city-owned Moody Park. There are almost 85 acres of rolling meadows and pastureland and just under 70 acres of forest. More than half of the property is ranked as prime agricultural soil. The milk produced by the Haynes’ cows  is sold to the Organic Valley, which has recognized the Dairy with multiple Gold Awards for milk quality. The milk is used almost exclusively by Stonyfield Farm.

Over the past 30 years, New Hampshire has lost more than 25% of its best farm soils to development. Projects like this one protect irreplaceable resources and ensure that future generations can keep farming. UVLT is proud to partner with John and Beth Haynes and support the continued productivity of their outstanding farm.