Page 10 - North Haven Magazine Spring 2021 Issue 18

A FARMER’SARMER’S
A F by Susan A. Iverson
MEMORIES
MEMORIES

Part I - From Subsistence to Prosperity

I always ask Jill (our editor) what she would like me to write about. For this issue of North
Haven Magazine, she suggested I write about the first farm in town. When North Haven
was incorporated in 1786 everyone was a farmer of sorts. Farms were simply places where
you grew the food and other goods your family required to survive – we call it subsistence
farming now. I chose to write about the Brockett Farm – Richard (Dick) Brockett had written
down dozens of memories of the farm and the ancestors who had worked it since 1799. By
the time I finished reading all that he had recorded I felt I knew him like my neighbor and
am thankful we have his life’s experiences preserved as part of our town’s history. There is so
much to describe about this farm that I have written two parts; the second part will appear
in the next edition.
It is stated in Richard Brockett’s reminis- became available, the water pump was pow-
cences that the land that would become the ered by compressed air, then gasoline, and Richard Brockett with walking sticks.
Brockett Farm, and later Arrrowdale Farms, finally electricity. The windmill was removed
had been used only by Native Americans in 1937.
prior to their settlement. It seems that the the milk. There were tractors, plows, rakes,
family’s use of this land began in 1799 and re- Although the Brocketts could (and did) raise mowing machines, cultivators, and milking
mained in the Brockett family for many gen- almost all the food they needed for their units. It was the picture of modern farming
erations. It is clear in his writings that they families, some things were bartered or pur- and received second place in the Connecti-
were all hard-working individuals constantly chased. The Brockett farmers often provided cut Greener Pastures Award under Richard’s
battling to increase yields season after season, their services in exchange for goods they did management.
year after year. Some were more successful not produce on the farm. One of the Brockett
than others, and many of them utilized the farmers – Grandpa Isaac – also taught school The Brocketts made this parcel of land a
latest technologies of the time to improve the for a while and worked for a feed and farm productive and profitable enterprise, and a
farm. supply store. Eli Brockett grew much of the North Haven treasure. While reading Rich-
food required by his family, but also sold cat- ard’s reminiscences I could not help but feel
tle and oxen and made shoes. The farm grew the satisfaction he experienced living on and
and prospered after the Civil War, and by the working the farm. It was not just a job but
turn of the century it was incorporating state- a lifestyle permeating every aspect of family
of-the-art facilities for raising dairy cows. life. In Part II there will be stories about what
The first cement barnyard in Connecticut it was like to grow up as part of North Haven’s
was built at the Brockett’s farm – it was easy farming community, personal experiences of
to keep clean and dry. Old apple trees were some of the Brockett farmers, and the reloca-
razed to make room for grazing. In the 1920s tion of the farm by the present generation of
a family friend suggested that the farm be Brocketts.
given a “proper” name and suggested Arrow-
Arrowdale Farm dale Farms. (Two Brockett brothers worked
neighboring farms on this parcel of land;
hence the pluralized name.) This name was
So many “conveniences” we take for grant- painted on the side of the new barn in big,
ed today posed significant challenges in the bold letters and has been known as such since
early years, like running water. The farmers then. The name pays homage to the points,
knew where springs were located and utilized or “arrows” found on the property that were
various means to channel the water for ease of Native American origin.
of use. One account from the 1800s tells of
Bethuel Brockett buying lead pipe and lay- By Richard’s generation the Brockett chil-
ing it underground for about ¾ mile down- dren were college educated and utilizing the John Brockett house & farm.
hill to deliver water to the homestead, horse latest techniques in farming. In 1947 Rich-
watering trough, the goldfish pool (!) and the ard and his wife Edna took over Arrowdale Farm goods were often perishable, like milk,
barn. Wells were also dug, and buckets of Farm, adding more land, barns, cows, and and had to be delivered daily. Milk was first
water brought inside for household use. In equipment. Shortly afterward they started delivered to customers simply by ladling the
1889 a 50-foot windmill with water tank and selling milk to Brock – Hall Dairy in Ham- milk from large milk cans into containers left
well were installed, supplying the farm with den. By 1964, Arrowdale Farm (only one by each door. Bottling and refrigeration were
pumped water. Richard wrote about having Brockett farmer now) covered over 230 acres not available until much later.
to disable the windmill blades during storms in three different towns with 125+ cows, and
– imagine having to climb up a ladder, per- 3200 pounds of milk were produced every Part II of Brockett Farm will run in the Sum-
haps in rain and darkness, to disengage rap- day. The facility included barns, silos, and mer Issue.
idly spinning blades! As newer technologies bunkers to store feed corn, and tanks to hold

10 North Haven Magazine - Spring Issue 2021