Misty Meadows Farm - Middle TN

Misty Meadows Farm – Middle TN

Part of the 25 Projects for 25 Years series.

Dr. Louise DeVito Strang is an author of a book about her farm and its residents, a clinical psychologist, dressage enthusiast, and horse lover. In addition to all of these things, Louise is also a dedicated conservationist guided by a love for the land. Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Louise moved to Tennessee to pursue a career in psychology. Over the years, her land became a personal sanctuary filled with animals and the quiet of the outdoors. Facing increasing development pressure, she decided to work with The Land Trust for Tennessee to protect her property in Thompson’s Station, Misty Meadows Farm, in 2021. We sat down with her on her front porch to discuss her story.

Louise recalled meeting her husband while looking for office space. “He rented me a space across the hall from him. He was the building manager. I ended up marrying him,” she said, smiling. Louise explained that her husband had an interest in motorcycles, and when she realized she wanted to take up a hobby of her own, she decided to learn to saddle and to ride horses.

“I ended up with three horses here,” Louise recalled. She explained how one of them was a 2-year-old swaybacked Morgan mare, Lace. The other mares she had been kept with abused her because “they don’t often welcome the defective ones.” Louise took on the challenge of training a truly wild, frightened rescue horse. “My husband kept saying, ‘That horse is gonna kill you,’ but I thought, ‘No, I got this,’” she laughed. Lace became a confident model citizen. Her and Louise had a lot of fun on the ground.

Zip Jack Jet, a quarter horse, had been in barrel racing. “He deserved to retire so he came here as a friend to my #1 horse, Cody, a Palomino Quarter Horse,” Louise explained. Poco’s Cody Joe became Louise’s close companion. “He was my friend,” she explained. He was with me 26 years and was 31 when he died. I enjoyed riding and taking care of him.” Over the years, she also raised chickens, cared for barn cats, and kept several dogs.

Louise followed The Land Trust for Tennessee over a period of several years. “The Land Trust was expanding, and I called them up,” she explained. “They came out, and I got the land surveyed. It took some time. But by 2021, we had done all the paperwork.”

In her words, Louise’s experience with The Land Trust has been overwhelmingly positive. “They’re all very thoughtful and considerate,” she said of The Land Trust team. “They have the whole picture in mind as they plan with the landowners.”

Louise’s decision to protect her land was rooted in her upbringing and her observations of the world around her. Growing up in New Jersey, she witnessed the rapid development that “paved over” the natural environment. “They just covered it all over, sadly, the seashore areas too,” she said. For Louise, nature offers something irreplaceable—an ecosystem where every creature, no matter how small, plays a role.

“I believe we all share this, and we need everybody. We need bees; we need bugs. I don’t use any chemicals here,” she said. Her commitment to environmental stewardship is about more than just protecting beauty; it’s about respect—a value instilled in her by her Italian family. She explained that growing up in her Italian family, “Everything was about respect, not just for people, but for everything. They taught it to me as a guiding principle.”

Louise’s sense of respect for nature translated into a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things. “Everything works to keep things going. I think that’s why I did this [conservation easement]. The result is a feeling of being a part of what I am giving toward.”

Louise’s land offers her more than just a place to live—it provides a deep sense of grounding and purpose. “I definitely have a sense of place here,” she said, describing how the cyclical nature of her land brings her peace. “Psychologically, it can bring about less anxiety, a deep happiness, and hopeful attitudes regarding life.”

Even though she knows she could move closer to her family in London or go anywhere else, Louise feels rooted in Tennessee. “I’m here, and this as what I see is so often delightful,” she said. It’s a place where she can watch the trees bloom each spring, a place where she can walk the boundaries of her property and feel connected to something larger than herself.

For Louise, working with The Land Trust wasn’t just about protecting her property—it was about making a small but meaningful contribution to the environment. “I think it’s very important to protect land like this across the state. If we’re going to survive, nature must survive. The Land Trust is a great way to add substance and hope to that possibility.”

Find out how you can support The Land Trust for Tennessee’s conservation work.