Ausbon Sargent is happy to report on September 22, 2026, a conservation easement was finalized on the 69-acre Foster Farm project in Warner, NH, which is made up of forest, wetland and pasture within the Mink Hills. This property is the first project of the Warner-based community trust called “Kawasiwajo Community Land Trust” (KCLT). Pronounced “kah-wah-See-wad-Zoh” this organization is a community land trust for the greater Kearsarge region. Their mission is to create resilience and connection through the intersection of land and housing.
Ellie Brown, KCLT President, shared “The success of this campaign will provide KCLT with the financial stability and tools to find additional mission-driven ways to serve the community through housing and land access in the Kearsarge region. Together, we can create a model for community-led land stewardship, affordable housing, and ecological conservation.”
The conserved area of the property will protect a large wildlife corridor and ensure working forests and farmland for generations to come. It also will protect the beautiful Ballard Brook, which feds into the Warner River. The area of the property that is not protected by Ausbon Sargent includes a farmhouse, which has been revitalized by KCLT, specifically to house those who are working the land. The need for affordable housing is an issue that KCLT identified as an important factor in protecting this property, and the proximity of the farmhouse to the land was an obvious deciding factor in embarking on this project.
“Ausbon Sargent was honored to be part of this unique project,” says Executive Director Hans Carlson. “The collaboration between the two trusts will help protect the local watershed, wildlife habitat, and provide land access for agricultural uses, with an added benefit of accessible and affordable housing for the future.”
A special thank-you to the forward-thinking individual who purchased the 70-acre Foster Farm property in 2020, with the intent to sell it to the Kawasiwajo Community Land Trust for just 25% of its appraised value. This philanthropic gesture was a vital component to this project becoming a reality.
The revitalized farmhouse on the Foster Farm property.
A view from the Foster Farm property.
