Clifton and Vera Grover established an Alaska dairy farm in 1948; 115 acres have been permanently protected to keep the land in agricultural use

A farm established in Alaska in 1948 received permanent protection in June 2025. The 115.22-acre Grover Farm in Palmer, in the Matanuska Valley, was protected through a conservation easement agreed to by the Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation and the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The agreement ensures the property will remain in agricultural use.According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (2025), Clifton and Vera Grover established the farm in the Matanuska Valley, where it became a family farming operation. It later moved from dairy production to cattle, while parts of the property were leased to other local farmers. The easement closed on June 13, 2025, securing the land against future development and preserving it for farming.How did Alaska Farmland Trust and NRCS protect 115 acres of Grover FarmThe conservation easement permanently protects 115.22 acres of Grover Farm in Palmer, Alaska. The Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation (AFTC) worked in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to secure the agreement. The agreement was completed on June 13, 2025, after five years of work between the Grover family and the AFTC.The voluntary agreement allows the family to keep ownership of the farm while receiving financial compensation for giving up its development rights permanently. The land can never be subdivided or paved over. Instead, it will remain available for farming, allowing future generations to continue using the property to grow food.From dairy farm to cattle operation and leased landClifton and Vera Grover established the farm in 1948 in Alaska’s Matanuska Valley. The farm has stood for more than seven decades as a family farm. It began as a dairy operation.Over time, the operation shifted to running cattle. The family also began leasing portions of the property to other local farmers, continuing its role in local food production.Wesley Grover, a longtime valley resident and farmland owner, said, “We came up in November of 1948 the first year we plowed all the land in oats and peas and vetch that we used for silage and hay. It is excellent soil. It is very important to learn how wonderful this soil is, this land here is excellent farmland.”Why Grover Farm’s location and soil matter amid development pressureThe easement came as the Matanuska-Susitna Valley was facing increasing development pressure.Margaret Adsit, lands coordinator for the AFTC, said, "Across the Valley, we’re seeing farmland converted into housing and non-agricultural uses.”"Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. That’s why it’s crucial to act now."The Grover Farm easement is part of the trust’s efforts to safeguard agricultural land in the region. The agreement prevents the property from being subdivided or paved over, keeping it available for farming. The protected land is located close to markets and has about 15 feet of topsoil, according to the trust’s board president.How does Alaska’s FarmLink programme support new farmersThe Grover family continues to own the property under the conservation easement, while its development rights have been permanently retired. The agreement allows future farmers to grow food on the land. The project also forms part of the Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation’s wider work to preserve the state’s agricultural soils through voluntary conservation and farmer-centred land access programmes as part of its ongoing statewide conservation work.The organisation marked its 20th anniversary in 2025, when the Grover easement brought the total area it had conserved to 519 acres. The farm effort also aligns with its FarmLink programme, which connects farmland owners with aspiring farmers. The programme aims to help ensure that agricultural land remains in active use.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.