The Persistence Foundation
Photographs by Constance Kheel
The Persistence Foundation (TPF) is dedicated to the dual mission of conserving agricultural lands and preserving agricultural heritage.
Working farms and agricultural landscapes are disappearing at an alarming rate in the northeast and elsewhere in America. Farmland is being subdivided and sold for development or left fallow. Each year more than a million acres of farm and ranch land is lost. This trend has adversely impacted the country’s environment, economy and quality of life.
Poor land use planning is a principal cause for the conversion of prime farmland and open space. TPF promotes efforts to sustain agriculture and conserve farmland. TPF also advocates for land use planning that supports farming.
The preservation and documentation of historic agricultural landscapes and structures is another focus of TPF’s work. The barns and farmhouses built in the 18th and 19th centuries provide a vital link to America’s rural past. But their importance is too frequently overlooked.
As farms are no longer used for agriculture, or as farmers transition towards modernization, historic barns are left in disrepair. Many have already collapsed or been removed.
TPF hopes to stimulate interest in these early buildings and the skillful manner in which they were constructed. Master builders, trained in the art of timber framing, created magnificent structures, America’s largest antiques. This website provides photographs with supporting text about some of these special timber framed structures. It also includes information about the acquisition of the Nipmoose Farm and the restoration of its historic barns by TPF. Please visit Nipmoose Barns to learn more about the Historic Barns of Nipmoose. For information regarding the rental of the barns for weddings and other social gatherings, please visit Events.
To learn more about the foundation and its activities, or to offer support, please visit About TPF.