WALPOLE, N.H. – Each year, the Cheshire County Conservation District honors an individual, business, or organization with the “Cooperator of the Year” award. This is done to celebrate the efforts the recipient has undertaken to steward the natural resources on their land in cooperation with the conservation district and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This year, we are happy to announce Britton Farm of Walpole, N.H., as our 2024 Cooperator of the Year.
Britton Farm, founded in 1948 by Lawrence and Yvonne Britton, is a multigenerational dairy farm in Walpole, N.H. In 2023, the Britton family celebrated 75 years of milking cows and producing milk for sale in the commercial market. Their total herd size is 200 head, including registered Holsteins who are milked along with Jerseys and other crosses. Britton Farm is a member of the Agri-Mark Cooperative, and produces 2 million pounds of milk annually. In addition to the dairy farm, they have diversified to also produce Wagyu beef, pork, and maple, which are for sale at their farm store on site. As Josie Britton shares, they value having a “high quality product at a reasonable cost for the local community.” They love that their neighbors are their customers, and important partners in the success of their farm business. To support their operation, they grow 300 acres of hay, 110 acres of corn, and have 100 acres of pasture and 1,500 maple taps, with the potential for growth. As Larry shared, “Farming is a great way to live, and a tough way to make a living,” and the Britton family is committed to the future success of their business and the stewardship of their land and farming heritage.
Larry and Josie Britton are the third generation of stewards on their property in Walpole, N.H. They both went to Fall Mountain High School, where Josie participated in Future Farmers of America and 4-H working with horses, cows, and sheep. Larry grew up on the farm and never wanted to miss a moment of the action on this traditional New England dairy farm he called home. Larry farmed this ground alongside his brother Andy Britton until his passing in May 2005, and took over the reins from his parents Alfred and Mary Britton in 2015. Larry serves as the farm manager, dedicated to managing daily operations, and Josie does the bookkeeping, helps as needed on all tasks, and also works full time off the farm as a histology technician.
The farming tradition is maintained strong today with their three adult children, who will be the fourth generation of the Britton family to care for their land. Their daughter Josephine is living on the farm and raising her daughter River, as the fifth generation to be doing chores in support of the family business. Their daughter Emily is a veterinarian, offering valuable services and advice, and their son Wyatt is full time on the farm serving as the herd manager, farm mechanic, and doing the daily milking. Wyatt is the co-owner of Britton Farm, and as Larry shared is the “heartbeat of the farm, the driving force, and without him we couldn’t keep it going.” Wyatt, like his father Larry, is innovative and open to learning new methods and practices to improve farm operations and stewardship. They have a drive to invest in the future of the farm, and modernize incrementally as opportunities arise. Larry and Josie both welcome the next generation to be the leadership on the farm.
There are also countless family members, including cousins, uncles, aunts, and in-laws, who have pitched in when help is needed. Larry and Josie are grateful for all the support. As Josie said, “The whole family enjoys the farm and supports the farm.”
Larry shared, “The farm is always part of you, extended family value the land and always take time to lend a helping hand during harvest or whenever needs arise. They appreciate how the land has shaped them, and recognize the significant role the farm continues to play in the community.” The strength of their family’s dedication to the land is strong.
The Brittons own 550 acres, and lease hundreds more through over a dozen lease agreements with neighbors in Walpole. They work hard to improve soil health, protect water quality, and invest in the energy efficiency of their operation. During the past decade, they have worked hand in hand with the USDA NRCS through seven separate Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts, to help them accomplish their goals to protect natural resources.
For soil health, they plant cover crops using the Conservation District’s no-till seed drill to prevent erosion and nutrient loss in the shoulder season. They do crop rotations and have significantly reduced tillage on their farm through a partnership with the Conservation District to retrofit their corn planter to a no-till set-up. A no-till system results in minimized soil disturbance from erosion and minimizes the loss of soil organisms and nutrients.
To protect water quality, they have opted to seed some sensitive fields near water sources into permanent hay ground and they worked with USDA NRCS to create a nutrient management plan for their farm. They’ve implemented manure storage, heavy use areas, and other structural practices with USDA NRCS to try to minimize runoff and keep surface waters clean.
Other conservation work they’ve done with NRCS includes invasive plant control, field seedings to improve pasture and hay ground, and delayed mowing for grassland birds such as bobolinks.
Energy conservation is a large focus for the farm in 2024. They have worked with the conservation district to secure a Climate Resilience Grant, and an energy efficiency grant through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center to replace their aging and inefficient bulk tank. They completed an energy audit with NRCS, and are now excited to be prioritizing future energy conservation investments for cooling milk and heating hot water. They are also evaluating solar options on the farm for generating renewable energy.
Jon Meadows, resource conservationist with the NRCS and planner working with Britton Farm, shared, “We are actively working together towards solutions one step at a time. Larry, Josie, and Wyatt have all been very engaged and forward thinking when planning to solve resource concerns, and are often asking me what more they can do. They’ve been a pleasure to work with by getting practices done on time, to our specs, and with a great attitude. They understand the role they have in the community, and that farming in New England needs to be both environmentally sensitive and economically viable to prevent a loss to heritage.”
As Larry explained, “The legacy of my grandfather, father, and family is to make the farm sustainable for future generations. You need the water to be clean, the soil to be healthy, and to use as little energy as possible to meet your goals.”
We are thankful to call Britton Farm our partners, and it is with great honor that the Cheshire County Conservation District presents them with the 2024 Cooperator of the Year Award. We invite you to please join us in offering congratulations and show support by visiting them up at their farmstand, on Watkins Hill Road in Walpole.
Join our community in celebrating Britton Farm, 2024 Cooperator of the Year, at CCCD’s 79th Annual Celebration. Join us for an evening of food, music, and connecting with community on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 6-8 p.m., at Stonewall Farm. Registration is required by visiting www.cccdcelebrates79.eventbrite.com.