Thank you, Jessica and Fairfield Moms, for always supporting me and my business, Stopa Landscaping.
I started this business when I was 19 years old. My dad cut lawns after work for extra income to support our family. I really took a liking to the hard work when I would come down from Maine to visit him, my stepmom, and my brothers and sisters.
A week after graduating from Ellsworth High School in Maine, I packed up my little blue Dodge Dakota, met my dad at the Maine border, and followed him home to Connecticut. Being the oldest of five kids, there really wasn’t room for me to stay at his house, so I lived with my grandfather, Lou Stopa, a lifelong Fairfield resident and Fairfield Fire Department captain.
Our family has deep roots in Fairfield. My great-uncle Joe was the first Fire Chief of Fairfield when the department transitioned to a paid fire department.
I worked with my dad during the summer of 1999. The plan was for me to work with him, take Firefighter 1, and eventually join the Fairfield Fire Department. In the spring of 2000, my dad had to spend a month in Arizona for military training. Before he left, he said, “Jeff, I’m going to put an ad in the Fairfield Minuteman. You answer the calls and see if you can get more work while I’m gone.”
Dad probably had about 10 to 15 customers at the time, but when he returned a month later, we had 50. I answered every phone call, and the people I met in Fairfield were so kind and eager to give a young guy an opportunity.
Dad was amazed at how much everything had grown, but it became too much for one person to handle. He said, “Take one of my mowers and your truck and see what you can make of this.”
So I did.
College was never something I wanted to pursue. I worked at Pizza Hut in Maine with several college graduates. After talking with them about why they were working there, the answer I heard most often was that they had been downsized. I felt bad that they had spent so much time and money on college only to be repeatedly laid off. I decided I wanted job security—either through the fire department or by creating it for myself.
I remember telling Grandpa, “I’m not pursuing the fire department.”
He looked at me and said, “What are you, crazy? It’s the best job in the world! You can do both.”
I told him, “No, I really want to concentrate on the business.”
Years later, after feeling burned out and questioning whether I wanted to continue, I said, “Grandpa, I’m going to take the fire test.”
He laughed and said, “What are you, crazy? Look what you’ve built!”
So there I went. I hired my first few employees, and we quickly reached 100 lawn accounts. I’m proud to say I still employ two of my original employees today.
At 23, I bought my first home in Fairfield—my great-grandmother’s house. It was only about 800 square feet, but my great-grandparents raised four children there.
Along the way, I met my wife, Kate. After we got married, she moved in, and before long we welcomed our oldest daughter, Emerson. Four years later, after some difficulties, we were blessed with our daughter Sloane.
Today, Emerson is 12 and Sloane is 8. They are both amazing and beautiful in their own ways. Emerson is incredibly talented in dance and earns straight A’s in school. I couldn’t be prouder of her.
Sloane is probably the most interesting human being I’ve ever met. She was born with GRIN2D, a rare genetic disorder that affects speech and memory. She’s one of only 29 people ever diagnosed. Her personality is off the charts, and she has an incredible sense of fashion. She identifies people by their outfits. She’ll ask, “Who’s that? What are they wearing?” She’s simply a happy human being who amazes me every single day.
We explored renovating our home or moving to a larger property in Fairfield. Then, by chance, we found a beautiful property in Easton that we instantly fell in love with. We decided to make the move.
I truly get the best of both worlds. I live in the peace and quiet of Easton, but I spend my days working in Fairfield. It’s an easy drive, and I can even stop for groceries on my way home, so it really wasn’t much of an adjustment.
When I was 22, I met Jen Simko. She was just getting started in landscape design, and I took a chance and hired her. Our first project together won first place in the Fairfield Board of Realtors Landscape Design Contest. We’ve worked together ever since, and along the way we’ve been featured in Modern Luxury Interiors magazine. We’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best architects and builders around, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.
Today, our company has grown to about 40 employees. Every day brings its challenges, but it’s all been worth it.
My dad eventually came to work with me after retiring. He’s my plant shopper, and he absolutely loves it. He’s also a substitute teacher at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and shops for plants for me after school each day.
Along the way, our family has experienced its share of ups and downs. In 2024, we lost my brother Casey to mental illness. It was heartbreaking, but we’re a resilient family.
In Casey’s honor, we started Love Like Casey. We help people pay for counseling and connect them with resources for mental health support. Our dream is to someday open a wellness center with saunas, cold plunges, counseling resources, and a place where someone having a difficult day can find hope and support. If we can help save even one life, it will all be worth it.
Even though I don’t live in Fairfield anymore, I’m here more often than not. I love this town, and I’ll always consider Fairfield home.