We begin our Market Roots Series with some fine writing and a brief history from Paul Desroiser about the history of the land and region that encompasses 18th Century Purity Farms located at 701 Squaw Rock Road , Moosup, CT.
Now when you go to the Coventry Farmer's Market and meet Paul and JoAnn, you will have a better idea of where the beautiful Organic Produce originated from. Food has a history that is as rich as it's nutritional content! We appreciate the local dedication to bringing wonderful product to our market for everyone to enjoy.
For frequent updates on what is growing check out 18th Century Purity Farms facebook page.
Here is Paul's history of the land they love so much....
"Our philosopy of pursuing organic methods farming with as small a carbon footprint as possible also has been mentioned. JoAnn and I talked about this, and one thing we are particularly proud of is the rebirth of this land as a viable farm. The property has a long history of various farming enterprises. We found the original 100 acre land grant from the King to Ephraim Wheeler in 1738, but what puzzles us still is why Mr. Wheeler came to this area. The area of Moosup we are in was once called the "seven wonders", referring to a series of cliffs and glacial caves which were once part of our property, but the land is gererally inhospitable to many types of agriculture, with steep slopes and ledge outcroppings interspersed with fairly fertile level areas. Perhaps all the good land was already taken and, like us, this was the only place he could afford. Ephraim Wheeler Jr. built the house where we live in 1760, and we suspect that it was just another hardscrabble upland farm until it was purchased by the Hale family in 1808.
The Hales (with connections to the successful Hale manufacturing family) expanded the farm to over 500 acres covering parts of Moosup and Killingly with a large (at that time) dairy operation. It remained primarily a dairy until 1888, when Alvah Pierce (a hired man of the Hale's) bought the original 100 acres and turned it into a poultry farm. One of our barns built in 1922 was considered the most modern chicken hatchery in the area. The Pierce family moved to Brooklyn in 1932 wher they became hugely successful in the egg business and founded Pierce Memorial Baptist Home. We still have occasional visits from Pierce family descendants.
The farm briefly reverted to dairy until purchased by the Kerr family of Providence as a summer home. We still have the barbecue pit (practically in the middle of the orchard) built for the Kerrs by a local stone mason. The land was leased to a local dairy farmer until 1950, but when he went out of business the process of reversion to forest began. We have a grainy photo taken by a neighbor in 1954 of the property just as it was growing up to brush.
We have 45 acres of the original land grant, about 22 acres including the "seven wonders" is owned by a Kerr family descendent, another 10 acres of road frontage was sold in the 1960's for houses, and the remainder lies under interstate 395. So that's it! From upland farm to successful dairy, to poultry, back to dairy, and now reborn as a fruit and vegetable farm, this land has a rich history of farming."
Thank you Paul and JoAnn!
For a look through Paul and JoAnn's own gallery click here for their Facebook!
For a look through Paul and JoAnn's own gallery click here for their Facebook!
