Potter Farm, off Oak Hill Road in Concord, to be conserved and protected from future development

The Potter Farm off Oak Hill Road will soon be protected from development after the Concord City Council approved the purchase of a conservation easement for $224,500. 

Conversations between the Potter family and the city’s conservation commission began two years ago when the family wanted to discuss protecting their farmland. The property consists of two parcels of land, totaling nearly 88 acres on either side of the road. 

The farm is located on the south side of Oak Hill Road, with 26.9 acres of open fields and farmland along Turtle Pond. Vegetables like potatoes, squash and other produce are grown there.

The parcel of land on the north side of the road is 56 acres of woods, as well as a 5½-acre homestead for the Potter family. The parcel is next to another piece on conservation land.

In 2020, the land was appraised at a value of $449,000. The Five Rivers Conservation Trust will fund half of the purchase of the easement with money from the National Resource Conservation Service and U.S. De partment of Agriculture, the State of New Hampshire Moose plate grant program and the Merrimack Conservation partnership. Five Rivers will also be responsible for monitoring the property.

The purpose of the conservation easement is to protect the natural habitat, forest and agricultural soils from development, according to a report from Beth Fenstermacher, assistant city planner. The easement will also allow the Potter family to continue farming the land, which they have done for generations.

Jim Owers, vice chair of the conservation commission, noted at Monday’s meeting that the appraisal indicated that the land is not ideal for housing development. Since the land is beyond the urban compact zone of the city, it has no city water or sewer.

The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase. The funds from the city are from the Conservation Trust Fund.

“This is an important parcel in the historic agricultural neighborhood, so we are excited to have the opportunity to conserve this parcel,” said Fenstermacher.