Keeping it in the Family

It is with considerable happiness tinged with a measure of sadness that we report the completion of the Munroe Farm Conservation Restriction in Rehoboth. The Munroe Farm CR protects 100 acres of farmland, well-managed woodlands, a large forested wetland known as the “Great Maple Swamp”, and scenic rural views along Fairview Avenue in North Rehoboth.

The Trust first met Walt and Sharon Munroe in 2011 to discuss a potential conservation project involving their farm, believed to be the oldest continuously owned family farm in Rehoboth. Walt certainly fulfilled the textbook image of a farmer with his laconic but friendly manner, firm handshake, and trusty overalls—seemingly a living and breathing example of American Gothic. As we walked through his fields and woods during our first site visit, Walt revealed his intimate grasp of every landscape feature, and detailed how natural and man-made events had shaped them. There are few greater pleasures in our work than to walk a property with a landowner who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of their land, and takes pleasure in sharing that knowledge. Walt was the epitome of our favorite type of landowner.

As work proceeded over the next few years on the CR, we looked forward with anticipation to our next chat with Walt, which usually strayed from discussing the status of the CR to encompass what was going on in the woods and on the farm, the price of firewood, the vagaries of New England weather, and the comings and goings of wildlife.

A true man of the soil with deep ties to the land, Walt spent most of his time in the woods and helping run the family’s grain and feed supply store. However, he somehow found the time to make substantial contributions to his community. He was a co-founder and charter member of Rehoboth’s Agricultural Commission and the Agricultural and Natural Resources Preservation Council, served on the Housing Authority and Water Commission, and was also instrumental in helping pass Rehoboth’s Right to Farm By-Law in 2005.

As we approached the final stages of completing the CR, Walt unexpectedly passed away last August. Thankfully, Sharon has continued forward with completing the CR. Already a project infused with the legacy of eight generations of Munroes, it has evolved into something more—a tribute to Walt and Sharon’s vision for ensuring the farm’s permanent protection. With his decades of exemplary stewardship of the farm, Walt’s legacy was already secure as the keeper of the family tradition.

The CR adds another dimension to his legacy. Walt was the 7th generation of his family to live and work on the farm, but fortunately not the last. Sharon and son Ben will carry forward with running the farm and feed store, and continue the family tradition of exemplary stewardship that has endured for centuries.

The Munroe Farm’s 100 acres includes open fields, carefully managed woodlands, a portion of the “Great Maple Swamp”, a large expanse of wooded wetland, several vernal pools, and scenic views that have changed little over Walt and Sharon’s years as stewards of the farm. The Munroe Farm CR is the Trust’s second in Rehoboth, following the 52-acre CR donated by the Bertozzi family in 1999 and situated just a few miles to the northeast. Both of these CR’s help protect the rural character of North Rehoboth, an area that still retains its bucolic look and feel despite development pressures and Rehoboth’s attractiveness as a bedroom community for nearby Providence.

Although we didn’t get a chance to obtain a specific quote from Walt about his preservation aspirations for the farm, he did provide a wonderfully direct and telling summary of his intentions, as quoted in a Rehoboth Reporter article posted last September. Walt was asked how he felt about his farm and how he envisioned it 50 years into the future. He said, “It’s very important to me. My only hope is that the land is still in one piece. I hope someone is still farming it. If I had anything to say about it, it would stay a farm forever.”

Thanks to Walt’s and Sharon’s conservation vision, and Sharon’s commitment to carry forward with the CR, the Munroe Farm will indeed remain in one piece, and be available to future generations of Munroes for the types of traditional land uses pursued by their forebears, including farming and forestry. We can think of no better or more enduring legacy a landowner could establish.