Stories of farming, conservation and life in the Monadnock Region will take center stage at the Monadnock Conservancy’s 12th annual “Stories About This Place” event on Friday, March 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Peterborough Town House.
The event is free and open to the public, though attendees are asked to register in advance at monadnockconservancy.org.
Each year, the program features speakers from around the region sharing personal stories about their connections to the land and life in the Monadnock Region.
“We’re so excited to be able to offer this free event of quality to our community,” said Martin Royle, Communications and Marketing Director for the Monadnock Conservancy. “This one will be really special, as we have a really fantastic lineup, including two local farmers.”
The 2026 speakers are Jamie Trowbridge, a Peterborough resident and CEO of Yankee magazine; Kim Peavey, co-owner and operator of Hillside Springs Farm in Westmoreland; Bob King, hydropower entrepreneur and conservationist, and Milton Trimitsis, owner and operator of Five Sigma Farm in Sullivan.
“This is a chance for locals to come and hear stories from their peers about land conservation, about the lives of people and living and working in the Monadnock Region, and about all the amazing things that people are up to in terms of protecting the land,” Royle said.
All the storytellers are tied to the Monadnock region. Peavey and her partner, Frank Hunter, have been farming at Hillside Farm in Westmoreland for 24 years and are known for their draft horses. Farmer Milton Trimitsis of Sullivan raises lamb and eggs and is a supplier to the Monadnock Food Co-Op in Keene.
“The farmland at Hillside Farm is protected in a conservation easement as part of the Conservancy’s farmland protection program, and Five Sigma Farm is now in the process of placing their farmland in conservation easement,” Royle said. “Both farmers will be talking about the impacts of farming and conserving farmland in the Monadnock region.”
Bob King, who is well known in the region for his work as a hydropower entrepreneur, will speak about his other passion, land conservation, and his work in that arena.
Trowbridge, a master storyteller, has a lifetime of Monadnock region stories to draw from, both as a native of the region and as editor of Yankee Publishing.
Music will be provided by pianist, composer and singer-songwriter Ben Cosgrove.
“Ben is truly a sensation. He is known all over New England, he has a new album out, and he is just so good,” Royle said. “We are thrilled he is able to play at ‘Stories About This Place’ this year.”
This year’s event will also feature an auction of hand-crafted hearts created for the Conservancy’s annual “Heart Hike.”
“We had local artists design hearts to place along our trail, and at the storytelling, we are doing a silent auction for six of the hearts, which are just beautiful,” Royle said.
Royle said the February Heart Hike on the Gramwick Trail, which is part of the Mountain Brook Reservoir property in Jaffrey, was very popular this year.
“We had one couple get engaged on the trail this year, in front of the hearts, which was just so special. We gave them one of the hearts from the trail as a gift, ” Royle said.
The hearts were created by Monadnock region artists Alice K. Drakiotes, Mary Iselin, Jeanne Thieme, Debra Stevens, and musician Ben Cosgrove. Poet Julie Waltrip contributed a poem, which is displayed on the trail in three parts.
The event will include light refreshments, coffee, and dessert.
Since 1989, the Monadnock Conservancy, together with willing landowners, has permanently conserved over 24,000 acres in 29 towns throughout southwestern New Hampshire. The Conservancy works with communities and landowners to conserve the natural resources, wild and working lands, rural character, and scenic beauty of the Monadnock region. For more information go to: https://www.monadnockconservancy.org.