Your January article (“Two Coves Farm shuts down in dispute between farmers, landowner“) highlights a distressing misunderstanding of the nature of a farmland trust. It is the farmers — the Gradys — who truly preserve this land through regenerative farming.
While they did not play a role in the initial purchase and preservation of this land, it is the Gradys’ work on the ground, year after year, to build soil organic matter, encourage an active biological ecosystem, and produce high-quality food that completes the promise of that initial purchase.
Evicting the Gradys to replace them with other farmers makes no sense. The Gradys championed preservation where animals and grass benefit soil health, whereas pure vegetable farming often depletes it. Perennial pasture is as much a “crop” as carrots or field corn. The Gradys have made investments and personal sacrifices for the benefit of our town’s health.
We hope the Anchor will continue investigating what will come next for this magnificent part of our coast.
David and Dianne Morton, Cundy’s Harbor
