Iconic farm in northeast Cheshire is a working farm with extensive woodlands and Quinnipiac River frontage. It is CLT's largest single acquisition to date.
Size: 164 acres
Nearest Road: Cheshire Street
Public Access: Yes/No (see below)
Acquisition: August 2006
Donor: Elizabeth Ives
Ives Farm is the first farm the trust has owned and operated as working farm. The farm operation is currently run by T&D Growers.
Cheshire Street runs north-south between the two halves of the Ives Farm property. CLT's Pelz Farm borders Ives Farm to the northwest, and the Quinnipiac River runs along Ives Farm's western boundary. With the addition of Ives Farm, CLT became the largest private owner of riverfront along the Quinnipiac River in Cheshire.
CLT has public hiking trails in the Ives Woodlands, which pass through mature stands of oak, mixed hardwoods, and one of the largest stands of old field cedars in Cheshire. The trails are open weekends and holidays, from dawn to dusk.
The farm, itself, is only open to the public during CLT public events at the red barn.
The hiking trail entrances are located across from 1585 Cheshire Street, with an additional trail entrance at the end of Northpond Road, in the Pondside development, off Cheshire Street.
Dogs on-leash are welcome on the Ives woodland trails on the east side of Cheshire Street. Please pick-up after your dog and dispose of properly. No motorized vehicles.
Background History
The Cheshire Land Trust acquired Ives Farm in August 2006. The historic farm is the bequest of Betty Ives, the beloved and dedicated farmer who by sheer force of will began her farming career upon the death of her husband Eddie Ives in 1967. Farming on this property goes back to the 1700s wth Lyman Bradley. The Ives family brought the in the 1860s. For a time it was a dairy farm. The windmill at the farm is the last of its kind in Cheshire.
From "Landmarks of Old Cheshire," the house at 1585 Cheshire St. was built about 1790 by Merriman Hotchkiss. The style described as "a great, square, center-chimney house". The property was sold in 1794 to Seth De Wolf, then sold to Lyman Bradley, who sold it to Edward Ives1867. The Ives have farmed the property since. A descendant, Eddie Ives married Elizabeth Porter and continued farming.
Top 3 - Male Finishers: 1st: Anthony Colabella, Bib 14, 18:24.0 Pace: 5:56/M 2nd: Jeffrey Townsend, Bib 83, 18:38.0 Pace 6:00/M