Meet Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey

John v.H. Halsey says his connection to East End farmland, waterways, and forests is rooted in family and experience. A 12th-generation descendant of English settlers, he has been president of the Peconic Land Trust since it was founded in 1983. In childhood in Southampton, he worked on a potato farm at age 14, learned to drive a tractor, and absorbed how local farmers tackled problems. He also describes the region’s diversity, including Shinnecock people and African Americans alongside white communities. After studies in Dartmouth and graduate work and a fellowship in Sweden, he returned to San Francisco and later saw a “for sale” sign next door—his family lost the property after $2.2 million in inheritance taxes plus interest.