Clover Nook Farm, Business, Books, Bethany Airport, Aviation History
“The greatest discoveries all start with the question ‘Why?'” Dr. Robert Ballard
Adapt, pivot, rise. Ride, find, look.
Follow the signs to Clover Nook Farm and the farm store (closed Monday and Tuesday). Owned and operated by the Demander Family in Bethany, CT; “8th generation family farm with roots dating back to 1765. Farm store across the road from the barn.”
A much-desired book about Bethany Airport was waiting at Clover Nook Farm's store on site in Bethany. (The signs do help, by the way. Was unfamiliar with the roads but persisted.) Hungry, a cup of Arethusa Farm yogurt was chosen from all the displays of local products.
With pictures captured for a return visit, shopping. A farm store is a showcase of business, time and energy distilled, entrepreneurs. Learning looking at each product.
The Clover Nook Farm store.
Inside.
An excerpt from the farm's history page:
“As his father’s health began to decline, Sherman Jr., with the help of Marion’s husband, Dudley Sandell, took over the dairy operation. Sherman Jr. and Dudley were both active in state and local Farm Bureau, Dudley holding office in New Haven County and a member of the state board. Sherman Jr. continued with hay production as well as growing feed and sweet corn. Many town residents still fondly remember his “self-service” corn stand in front of the homestead, where people could stop and pick up corn for dinner, leaving payment in a cigar box. In 1972, the dairy herd was sold and Sherman Jr. changed focus to raising dairy replacement heifers and beef cattle.
“In 1988, as Sherman Jr. readied for retirement, his daughter Deborah, and her husband, Eric Demander, moved back to the farm. In 1991, Eric left his trade to take on farming full time. Continuing hay production and raising beef cattle, Eric began expanding vegetable production. Eric and Deborah soon opened a produce market at the farm where they currently sell products grown on the farm, as well as other locally grown fruits and vegetables. In 2000, Clover Nook Farm was awarded with recognition as a Connecticut Century Farm. Eric and Deborah have two sons, Carl and Lars.
“Carl graduated from the University of Delaware’s College of Agricultural and Natural Resources with a degree in Food and Resource Economics. Lars graduated from Cornell University in 2014 with a degree in Agricultural Science and a minor in agribusiness management and later a Master's degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics in 2015. Lars returned to the farm in 2015 to become a full partner with his father, Eric.In 2016, Lars applied for and was awarded the Farm Reinvestment Grant from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture in the amount of $40,000. The grant help fund the construction of a new retail farm store. The farm was ready to expand its retail business as it brought on Lars as a full time partner. The new store has been a tremendous success as the business has grown substantially through increased customer volume and product diversity. Clover Nook Farm's meat products (beef, pork, and lamb) have become one of the most popular items available.
“In 2018, Lars was recognized as Connecticut's Outstanding Young Farmer of 2018 for the growth of the farm business, conservation practices, and community engagement. Shortly after receiving the award, Clover Nook was hit directly by an EF-1 tornado on May 15, 2018. The amount of damage was extensive, including the 1840 “horse barn” being completely leveled. Recovery from the storm continued for the rest of the year, with a new storage pole barn being constructed in December 2018.
“All of the generations of Clover Nook Farm acknowledge and thank the many, many friends, family members and neighbors whom have worked and helped on the farm. They have all contributed greatly to the farm’s ability to endure and thrive for over 250 years.”
Honey, delectable work of bees, beekeeper.
Peter La Tronica co-owner of Lock Stock & Barrel on Amity Road, had just exited this handsome rig while moving things around at the farm store's warehouse of supplies.
“A 1927 photo of Ernest Markham & two unidentified boys in front of a Waco 10 biplane at Bethany Airport (courtesy of Linda Markham Scialabba). The date of construction of this small general aviation airport has not been determined.
The earliest depiction of the Bethany Airport which has been located was a 1927 photo of an unidentified biplane at Bethany Airport (courtesy of Linda Markham Scialabba). The photo pictured Linda's grandfather, Ernest Markham, and two unidentified boys in front of a biplane marked with “Hill & Somers”. Linda noted, ‘My uncle tells me they were some type of business, he is not sure if they owned the airport. My grandfather… worked at Bethany Airport from 1927-28; he may have been a flight instructor there.'”
— Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Central Connecticut by Paul Freeman. (This site covers airfields in all 50 states.)
Then and now at what is now known as Meriden Markham Municipal Airport. Named for Markham.
Also this about Markham from AAAE Adam Snider (2018):
“Meriden Markham Municipal Airport (MMK) is a general aviation airport about three miles outside the city of Meriden in New Haven County that has served local pilots, flights schools and the Civil Air Patrol. The airport outlines its early history and namesake on its website: ‘The airport officially dates back to as early as 1928 when Ernest Markham was named the first airport manager. On July 14, 1962 the airport was renamed in honor of Ernest L. Markham for his 32 years of dedicated service.'
The local Record-Journal newspaper has a number of pictures of MMK dating back to the 1970s. …you can see them all in a “>slideshow.”
An undated photo of a Jenny biplane at Bethany Field, chocked but with the engine running, from a 4/12/27 family photo album (courtesy of Cynthia Stulpin). Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Central Connecticut by Paul Freeman. Linked to official site, many more photos.
Aviation history, community.#reading pic.twitter.com/UiTUbRitYL
— Moo Dog Press (@MooDogPress) December 30, 2022
Arethusa Farm.
Bethany Mountain Road. Wind, bend, slow, accelerate. Slow. Pay attention. Pine shavings for footing, around the barn. A stuck truck led to an afternoon of exploration. Thoughts of Melville, his home in the Berkshires “Arrowhead”; Morgans, trails.
Return full of ideas and words. Notice a new location for Beach Donuts in Wallingford.
Ahead, percolating layers of time. Books and winter of reading. Thinking during daily chores. To write, honor the wellspring. Peruse deep time, humanity. What others miss.
“Before 1638 – Two Native American tribes inhabit the Bethany area. West of the north-south line running along Pole Hill Road are the Naugatucks of the Paugusset Tribe. East of that line are the Mattabessitts of the Wangunk Tribe.”
Farms, life, landscapes. One image from the collection of Simon Donato. Linked to story from 2022.
Editor's note: This story has been updated.