Lockwood Farm

Lockwood Farm is named after William Raymond Lockwood, a Norwalk resident who willed his estate to The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station "to use and apply all the balance or net income in the promotion of agriculture by scientific investigation and experiment, and by diffusing a knowledge of the practical results thereof..." The bequest included 56 acres of land with buildings in South Norwalk near the Darien town line. The property was sold in 1900, and the Lockwood Trust was created to carry out the terms of his will. Some of the proceeds were used to purchase the land for what is now Lockwood Farm in Mt. Carmel, Hamden,CT. Until 1910 when the first 19.25 acres were acquired from Annie McLaughlin, Station scientists used to rent lands on the east side of Whitney Avenue for experiments. Travel then was time consuming and difficult because the Station owned no vehicles. The McLaughlin property was purchased because it was only a 20 minute train ride from the main laboratories in New Haven. The property included a house, barn and orchard. Lockwood Farm grew to about 74 acres with the purchase of adjacent farmland in 1985. A plaque given by the Connecticut Seed Trade Association, commemorated the best-known contribution to agriculture made at Lockwood Farm. The plaque says: "Hybrid Corn, revolutionary double-cross method was developed in 1917 by Donald F. Jones and first applied on the nearby farm of The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station." Henry Wallace, who in 1926 organized the first company to develop, produce, and sell hybrid corn seed, gave an address, "Small Plots and Big Men" on August 16, 1955. The former Vice President Wallace of the United States praised the Station and Jones, its great scientist: "No state Agricultural Experiment Station has ever accomplished so much with so little land, money, and salaries..." At Lockwood Farm James G. Horsfall field-tested organic fungicides that he developed to replace heavy metals previously used to control plant diseases. The principles of plastic plant shelters, mulches, and hot caps were worked out in the field in the 1950's. Since this time the Experiment Station has produced vast amounts of new information related to agriculture. In 1931 the farm manager began making systematic daily weather observations which help in analysis of experiments and provide information used to study climate. Today, the current Research Farm Manager continues to take daily weather observations. Each year on a Wednesday in August, the farm is opened for the annual open house, Plant Science Day.  Lockwood Farm Soil Map 

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Lockwood Farm
890 Evergreen Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518-2361
Fax: (203) 974-8502

Cecarelli, Richard: Research Farm Manager
E-mail:  Richard.Cecarelli@ct.gov
Voice: (203) 974-8618

Hannan, Rollin J.: Agricultural Research Technician II
Voice: (203) 974-8618

Toth, Joseph: Farmer
Voice: (203) 974-8618