John Halsey is no stranger to the East End, but it was a for sale sign that he saw one day while here visiting his family that compelled him to take action.
The Halsey clan has been in the Hamptons forever. The family first settled here in the 1640s and John Halsey is a 12th generation Halsey. You've undoubtedly seen their farm, The Green Thumb in Water Mill and you've also certainly gazed across a farm field that John has had a hand in preserving.
In 1983, John was inspired to do something about the ever dwindling farm land here on the East End. The farm next to his family found itself in a position in which it was forced to sell due to estate tax problems. For John, this just didn't make sense, so he started the Peconic Land Trust, in order to help other farmers preserve and protect their land.
"It's a labor of love," he explains, "and it's so important for people to connect to the land and understand that our economy is based on tourism and agriculture." Since its start, Peconic Land Trust has preserved over 8,600 acres of working farms, watefront areas, historic homes and natural areas.
The character and feeling of the East End is at stake as development progresses. There are a few people, John Halsey included, working everyday and leading the charge to stem the tide and preserve and protect the beauty of the Hamptons. That's why John Halsey is a Plum 98.
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