Carl Michael Wallman

1944 - 2020

Carl Michael Wallman, 75, of Pittsfield, New Hampshire, left this world on Friday, February 14, after a long struggle with cancer. Wallman was an environmentalist, ecologist, farmer, breeder of championship cattle, apostle of naturalist philosopher Aldo Leopold, lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, good neighbor, and dear friend. He was proprietor of Graylag Cabins on Wild Goose Pond and co-founder of the Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative, which began in 2004 as a means by which neighbors working together could be good stewards of the land.

Wallman was born in New York City on September 20, 1944, the second of two sons.

After graduating from University of Wisconsin and studying mathematics at Northeastern University, Carl bought 180 acres in Northwood, and he eventually learned the basics of farming and raising Angus cattle. Over the next 25 years he turned Harmony Hill Farm into a great success. Carl developed innovative breeding techniques that had cattle ranchers from around the country studying his methods and buying his cattle, and in 1989 he was awarded the coveted Grand Championship Pen of three Angus Bulls at the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

In 1994 he sold his herd and purchased the main house and lakeside cabin of Graylag, a property on Wild Goose Pond in Pittsfield that had been a basketball camp in the 1960s and 1970s. Inspired by the natural landscape and the philosophy of Aldo Leopold, he became determined to reach out to neighbors and build community, to think of the land as part of a larger system that knows no boundaries. He worked with NH Fish and Game to understand and map the watersheds and habitats, and he began a dialogue with neighbors about their common interests, across property lines and very often across ideological lines, too. That's how -- over many potluck suppers -- NALMC was born in 2006.

After lovingly restoring some of the cabins and adding artistic touches throughout the property, Carl began renting cabins to city folks, watching them connect with nature and themselves, and building community around the campfire. Gradually, Graylag grew and evolved as a place of healing and beauty.

In his final months, Carl succeeded in establishing paths for both Harmony Hill Farm and Graylag to continue in their current form well beyond his lifetime. The farm is being donated to Southeast Land Trust under an innovative easement so that it will remain a farm forever. And his beloved Graylag has been reborn as Graylag Nature Preserve, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people with nature and one another.

Carl is survived by sons Evan Wallman of Pahoa, Hawaii, and Gabriel Wallman of Pittsfield, NH; granddaughter Matalyn Wallman of Pahoa, Hawaii; partner Fran Berman of Exeter, NH; cousins; and many friends and neighbors.

The funeral was held on Monday, February 17 in the Chapel at the Manchester Hebrew Cemetery, 316 South Beech Street, Manchester, NH. The family will receive visitors during shiva hours, 4-7 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday, at Carl's home, Graylag, in Pittsfield, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Carl's memory may be sent to Graylag Nature Preserve, PO Box 398, Pittsfield, NH 03263.