Category: farming

Big Birds

Lilac Hedge Farm, Rutland, MA

In New England, emus and ostriches are rare and exotic. A recent visit to Lilac Hedge Farm provided an extraordinary opportunity to see them close up. This stately emu strutted casually through its enclosure.
Oftentimes, emus display graceful ballerina moves.
These birds are easily identified by patches of blue on their heads.
Nearby, ostriches were protected in their own enclosure. Their feathers look soft and fluffy when seen close-up.
This imposing male ostrich had a a thin coating of white feathers on its head.
Two delightful juvenile ostriches regarded visitors with quiet intensity and great curiosity.
Lilac Hedge Farm is the former site of a Heifer International Educational Center. Its many acres provide ample space for both local and exotic creatures to roam.

A Century Farm

Central Massachusetts boasts well over forty apple orchards. Sagatabscot is among the oldest.

Sagatabscot Orchards in Sterling, MA was established in the 1740s. This historic farm has been owned by only two families; the present family has been operating it since 1912.
A self-serve stand offers many apple varieties, including heirloom, as well as cider.

The antique cider press has been preserved in the farm barn along with other historical relics. Note the World War I helmet, worn by an ancestor of the present owner.
In the Algonquin Indian language sagatabscot means “place of the hard rock”.
Since the 1700’s the owners have built numerous additions to the original buildings on the rocky hillside.

The farmhouse is painted in the original 1700s color.

The “six over six” windows and side entry are appealing details for colonial architecture enthusiasts.

Lucky and Lucky, the chickens, were named as a consequence of being the last chickens left after a fox found the hen house.

The barn is a treasure trove of antique farm implements, historical items and family lore.

Cart wheels and traditional Ojibwa Indian snowshoes are displayed in the barn rafters.
This bobsled was used to deliver milk when roads were impassable in the winter.
The present owner created this replica of the barn for his young daughters.
Generations of cousins have gathered at the farm for family festivities.
Small rooms carved out from the larger structure include historical items and family heirlooms.

Corn, Clouds and Crows

Early fall in Central Massachusetts is the perfect time to explore and photograph the beauty of the region’s local farmlands.

Jordan Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts is a fifth generation farm. In addition to its long history, it is highly regarded as one of the first farms in Massachusetts to produce clean energy.
This is only a small section of the cornfields that provide food for their 375 cows.
On this early fall day, fast moving cloud formations lent a constantly changing counterpoint to the landscape.
The windswept tassels on top of the corn were elegantly silhouetted against the clouds.

I was startled by what appeared to be a rising moon behind the corn.

It is actually a receptacle for storing corn silage (corn used to feed the cows in Winter).
The corn is sown and harvested with mechanical precision, resulting in perfectly neat rhythmic rows.
Corn loving crows are almost always found in undulating groups, creating fascinating patterns in the sky.

A group of crows is often called a murder, but I prefer a less frequently used collective noun for these intelligent and social creatures– a parcel.
Crows aren’t fussy. They will eat corn on or off the cob, as well as seeds and seedlings.
The proud old farmstead sits at the edge of a country road, at the very top of a long hill.
The classic New England red barn across the street stands as a testament to a beloved bygone era.
This historic and progressive farm is only ten miles away from Worcester, MA, New England’s second largest city.