The farm consists of about 180 acres of mixed woods and fields. It also includes a state-protected trout stream, a lesser tributary of that stream, and several ponds. These provide food and shelter for a diverse community beside the human residents and guests. Our forest management plan and our farming practices keep this in mind. Leaving den trees and vernal pools undisturbed provides breeding habitat for birds and amphibians. We chose not to trap the muskrats that were compromising the strip of land between the pond and stream; then we saw mink and fewer muskrats. Not using pesticides in the gardens allows beneficial insects to thrive and they in turn help keep pests in check. Human residents and visitors then have the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the wild things for whom the farm is home.
Our mission is to live an alternative to the consumer culture. Instead of going to the mall or watching television, we walk in the woods and watch sunsets. And we invite others into the natural world at the farm. In the spring visitors enjoy woodland wildflowers and birds in breeding plumage. Frogs and salamanders are laying their eggs in ponds and vernal pools. In summer the dragonflies, frogs and bats keep down the flies and mosquitos, and wild berries provide snacks on our walks. In fall we enjoy changing colors, salmon running and wild apples. In winter we ski and watch for other tracks in the snow to see who else is out and about.
With its mix of woods, old orchard and pasture, regularly mown fields, and hedgerows the farm provides varied habitats. We put up nest boxes and have at least one pair of bluebirds each year along with several pairs of tree swallows. We can spot four or more oriole nests from the main barn each year. We’ve found woodcock nests and observed their courtship flights. We’ve left patches of hay standing in a mown field to protect turkey nests. We hear and very occasionally see barred and great horned owls. Ruffed grouse males drum on the downed willows along the small brook, and we sometimes meet a clutch of young grouse with attendant parent doing her distraction display. (See bird list at bottom of page.)
Several miles of trails wind through the woods and fields, and we hope to develop more to connect skid trails and provide easier access to some areas. Our library includes nature guides to help identify birds, amphibians, snakes, insects, wildflowers, trees and grasses. Visitors can explore and use our hand lenses, magnifying bug boxes, dip nets and binoculars. Groups can arrange to have a resident of the farm lead a nature walk and answer questions.
Nature both irritates and delights us as we go about our work. Snapping turtles lay their eggs in the soft soil of our gardens, uprooting seedlings in the process. Black flies swarm around us as we plant seeds or tend goats. The deer ate off our fall cover crops until we put up an 8 foot fence around the garden. Now songbirds perch on the fence and seem to spend more time in the garden eating the bugs that eat the crops. By late spring the bats and birds, frogs and dragonflies seem to be keeping up pretty well with the flies and mosquitos so that we can sit by the pond in peace. The raccoon that is a pleasant surprise met in the woods is not so welcome when it comes in through a skylight in the middle of the night. I delight in finding nests, but Zachary doesn’t care for them in the rafters above his drying lumber. Still we are glad to share this farm with so many others. We puzzle over tracks in the snow and welcome the frog choruses that proclaim spring. We always yield to skunks in the berry patch. We laugh at the young heron or kingfisher trying to get a meal from the pond. We encourage those plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. We try to remember ourselves and remind our guests that this farm is a home we share with many creatures and that much of our pleasure in it comes from that diversity.
The farm is not posted and hunting of deer and turkeys is by permission. Trapping and hunting with dogs is not permitted. We don’t allow hunting of coyotes which help keep woodchucks and rodents in check. Coyotes have not troubled our livestock, but loose dogs have killed chickens and harassed goats. Packs of hunting dogs must also cause stress to other wildlife already stressed by winter weather. We hope the DEC will address these concerns and address the issue of controlling dogs used for hunting and respecting the rights of landowners.
