Conservation Award 2025: Ray and Jenny Sprague
The Conservation Commission award for 2025 honors Cornish’s agricultural history and the farmers who have kept Cornish land in local food production. This year’s award recipients have used and promoted sustainable farming practices as well as having provided employment.
The 2025 Award goes to Ray and Jenny Sprague for their stewardship and operation of the historic Putnam Homestead on Route 12A. This family farm originally belonged to the Putnams for 247 years. Ray purchased the homestead and 67 acres in 2012. Soon thereafter the renewed farming activities were contributing produce to the Edgewater Farmstand and CSA.
In 2016 a conservation easement with Upper Valley Land Trust was established to ensure the land’s agricultural future. The land purchase and subsequent conservation easement allowed Edgewater family farmers to diversify produce, ensure proper crop rotation, and soil enrichment and recovery practices, as well as contribute significantly to the Willing Hands program.
In 2024 the ownership of Edgewater Farm passed to the next generation; Ray Sprague assumed leadership of the operation’s production, packing and distribution. Congratulations to our Cornish farmers Ray and Jenny and their children, Hobbs and Billie, and their extended family. And a BIG thank you for the continuation of sustainable local food production in Cornish, the Upper Valley, and beyond.
Glenn Griffin, Interim Chair, and Jody Schubert, member, presented the award to Jenny Sprague at the Cornish Town Meeting on March 15, 2025.
In Recognition of Corey Fitch’s Service
The Conservation Commission proudly recognizes Corey Fitch’s exemplary volunteer service to the Town of Cornish in his role as member and Chair of the Cornish Conservation Commission from 2015 to May of 2024.
During his nine-year tenure Corey was responsible for regular monthly meetings, managing the Commission’s operation in compliance with the state’s complicated laws, many fun and engaging public education events, oversight of required conservation easement monitoring on seven properties in town, and guidance to two Cornish landowners in their process to establish conservation easements on their properties.
Corey was instrumental in on-going recruitment of new member talent to the Commission. And very significantly he inspired the transition to an electronic record keeping system and Conservation webpage. Importantly, during the covid years, he enabled the CCC to continue meeting and conduct the Commission business via zoom. His technical communication and design skills were essential to moving the Commission forward in this realm.
Over the last 18 months Corey led the Commission members in its once a decade requirement to update the town’s Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). The Commission is on the cusp of completing this work and appreciative of Corey’s willingness to remain as the liaison to the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Planning Commission which is responsible for the update of the many maps associated with the NRI.
We thank Corey for his leadership and volunteerism, long and productive tenure as Chair and wish him the very best as he enjoys more time with his family.
Jody Schubert will serve as Interim Chair until the end of the year, when a new Chair will be appointed.
With sincere appreciation, The Conservation Commission
(Julie Foote, Glenn Griffin, John Hammond [BOS representative], Cindy Heath, Reyer Jaarsma, Robin Kilfeather-Mackey, Linda Leone, Rickey Poor, Jody Schubert, Bob Taylor)
Ginny Prince Conservation Award 2023
At town meeting 2023, Ginny Prince, a devoted steward of the Town Forest for 25 years, received the Cornish Conservation Commission’s award for exceptional conservation practices. She has volunteered countless hours of leadership, forest management planning, and the tough work of trail maintenance. Through her guidance and the work of the Town Forest Committee, the Town Forest became a Certified Tree Farm in 2022.
On Saturday, June 29, 2024, the Conservation Commission completed a stone bench at the Town Forest summit lookout in honor of Ginny’s steadfast stewardship of this beautiful Cornish natural resource.
Many thanks to Dave Fielder, Ed Woodbury, Reyer Jaarsma, and Corey Fitch (and Hudson and Hayden Fitch) for their fine stone work and volunteerism on behalf of the Commission.
We encourage a walk to the summit sometime this summer or fall to sit on the bench and take in the view!
2023 Conservation
Awardee: Ginny Prince
A devoted steward of the Town Forest since its creation 25 years ago, Ginny Prince received the Commission’s award for exceptional conservation practices. She has volunteered countless hours of leadership, forest management planning, and the tough work of trail maintenance. Also, this year, due to the work and initiative of the Town Forest Committee, the Town Forest became a Certified Tree Farm.
Annual Conservation Commission Award Recipients (1983–2025)
Conservation Award plaques
at the Cornish Town Offices
