White Family Conserves 208 Year-Old Highgrove Farm in Groveland
Jon, Gail and their son Morgan have permanently protected their Groveland farmland by working with Genesee Valley Conservancy to ensure their seventh-generation family farm remains in agriculture.
Two conservation easements placed on lands worked by Highgrove Farm will protect 1,069 highly productive Genesee Valley acres from subdivision and non-agricultural development forever.
Bicentennial
The White family has farmed in the Genesee Valley since Jon White’s 3rd great-grandfather first purchased 107 acres in Groveland in 1813. As Livingston County celebrates its Bicentennial this year, it is fitting that the White Family has permanently protected lands their ancestors began acquiring before the county was commissioned in 1821.
The Highgrove conservation project adds significantly to the decades of work Genesee Valley Conservancy has been doing in the Town of Groveland. The farm is nearby two previously protected farms (Edgewood and Merrimac Farms) to the north and adds over 7 miles of protection along highly developable roads.
Prime Soils
The farm has outstanding soil quality. Over 77% of these lands are classified as USDA Prime soil, the most productive around. An additional 7% of their acreage is classified as NYS important soil. The farmlands also contain two perennial streams that drain directly into Conesus Lake, which is just over half a mile from the farm to the east. The White’s have integrated important soil and water best practices into their farm management on some of their newer lands, including contour planting and strip cropping on terrace.
These conservation resources were a key factor that made the Farm one of the top ranked dairy farms in Livingston County for protection in 2018 when it was selected as a project to move forward.
Deep Roots
One of the driving factors behind the White’s decision to protect their land was to honor the legacy of their ancestors who for centuries had been involved in churches, schools, towns, and agricultural organizations throughout the community. Jon White has strived to continue that ethic of service by chairing the Livingston County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, as well as serving on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Soil and Water Conservation District for over three decades prior.
This commitment to farming while also supporting the agricultural community at large helps ensure the same agricultural opportunities and resources that the White’s have experienced are available to future generations who can benefit from the natural assets in the Genesee Valley. This project adds the 102nd and 103rd conservation easements accepted by the Conservancy and is the 7th and 8th conservation project in the Town of Groveland.
Looking Forward
The White’s have been working to transition between generations for over a decade. The farm’s future is likely that of a diversified cash crop operation, with the farm slowly moving away from their dairy and livestock operations while pivoting their energy into more acreages of beans, wheat, corn and other forages, food and feed for sale and use throughout the community.
As Jon looks to eventually fully retire and pass on the remaining ownership of the farm to Morgan, he and his wife Gail will continue to travel, visit their granddaughter in California, and run Temple Hill Bed and Breakfast in the Village of Geneseo.
Getting to the Finish Line
In 2017, the White’s attended a farmland protection workshop hosted by the Livingston County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board and Genesee Valley Conservancy to learn about conservation easements and the New York State grant program that funds these efforts.
The family decided to pursue the program and applied to the local Livingston County selection process. This process pre-ranks interested farms so that the competitive grant applications submitted to NYS are the best the region has to offer. During the 2018 local ranking, Highgrove Farm was ranked as one of the top dairy farms. The project was subsequently awarded funding by NYS and their land protection project began.
This project was the result of a collaboration between Genesee Valley Conservancy, Livingston County Board of Supervisors, Livingston County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, Town of Groveland and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. To-date, the collaborative effort between Genesee Valley Conservancy and local partners has resulted in over $25 million invested in protecting over 14,829 acres of some of the State’s most productive agricultural lands in the Genesee Valley.
In Summary
This project was supported by the Livingston County Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board and the Town of Groveland. Both municipalities recognize highly productive farmland is critical to the local economy and the economic future of the region. Genesee Valley Conservancy works throughout the Genesee River watershed to protect high quality habitat, open space and farmland for the community. The Conservancy now oversees the protection of 25,294 acres.
Landowners in the Genesee River watershed interested in pursuing conservation options for their property, be it farmland, habitat, or a potential public nature preserve, should contact Genesee Valley Conservancy for more information.