Meet the Knapp Family (continued)

Paul was of one of eight fourth-generation children born on the 600 acre Knapp farm, which produced cabbage and potatoes, dairy, and feed crops. 300 acres of the farm consists of wetlands and forest, and the remaining 300 tillable with pasture, with the upper West branch of the Tioughnioga River running through. Uncertain whether he would return to continue the family tradition, Paul decided on a degree in Nursery Management at Cobleskill Agricultural And Technical College. That's where he met Maureen. Though she was born and raised in Brewster, a suburb of New York City, Maureen had a lifelong dream of living a rural farm life, (though admittedly, she jokes that she hadn't figured on the amount of work and manure involved!) She was pursuing a degree in Equine Science when she met Paul.

Was it a surprise the love of Maureen's life turned out to be a farmer? I don't think so.

The first time Paul took Maureen home to meet his family, the future course was set. Maureen became passionate about returning to the farm, and Paul agreed. They were married in 1982, and began co-managing the farm with Paul's parents and brothers in 1980. The births of three sons followed: Casey in 1989, Blaise in 1992, and finally Evan arriving in 1995. The first ten years was spent co-managing the produce side of the farm, and then Paul and Maureen took over the family's dairy operation in 1993. About this time, Maureen started to become interested in organics, through various articles she read and people she met. Paul smiles, "Maureen's the dreamer; I'm the logistics".

Because the Knapps were the first in their community to transition to organic, it raised eyebrows, of course. But it felt so right for the farm and their family, so the couple persevered. Paul explains, "Our soil was ready for organic farming. It is renowned for being the best in the state. There's such good drainage and percolation in the 25 feet of silty gravel below the topsoil, that even in some years when it's dry our crops are still able to grow, and when we get a lot of rain, the soil drains beautifully. We have learned to improve the soil with compost, instead of synthetic fertilizers, and this wakes up the biology." In the years preceding their certification they also learned how to treat sick cows with homeopathic remedies and herbs instead of antibiotics, implemented rotational grazing, and added turkeys, pigs, and chickens to the operation. "We found that adding multiple species contributes to soil vitality," Paul adds. They earned organic certification, became members of Organic Valley/CROPP cooperative, and shipped their first load of organic milk in 2000.

In the meantime, while serving as president of the New York Agricultural Land Trust, a new entity formed to hold conservation easements on farms working through American Farmland Trust, and sitting on numerous boards of farm-related organizations and teaching workshops, Maureen continues to pursue their quest for cutting edge practices to further increase farm vitality.