PC: US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
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. The easement closed on June 13, 2025, securing the land against future development and preserving it for farming. 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. The protected land is located close to markets and has about 15 feet of topsoil, according to the trust’s board president.
Margaret Adsit, lands coordinator for the AFTC, said, “Across the Valley, we’re seeing farmland converted into housing and non-agricultural uses. It later moved from dairy production to cattle, while parts of the property were leased to other local farmers. The voluntary agreement allows the family to keep ownership of the farm while receiving financial compensation for giving up its development rights permanently. It is excellent soil. It is very important to learn how wonderful this soil is, this land here is excellent farmland. “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 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.