Friends of Boulder KnollThank you to the former Cheshire Nursery School for their incredibly generous $26,000 gift to Friends of Boulder Knoll! Their tremendous gift will allow us to hire an environmental educator and expand on our mission to educate community members of all ages in sustainable agriculture.
We just found this article about High Hill Orchard, where we get our ecologically-grown fruit for our CSA shareholders!
Frosty Harvests, A Season in Reverse
by Jan Ellen Spiegel, New York Times
October 1, 2010In the dead of winter when other farmers are ordering seed, Mr. Young, 51, will be dealing with farm chores and customers. “It’s kind of like — January and February: ‘Oh, what am I doing here? Oh yeah, I got paid for it a long time ago,’ ” he said. “It does drag it out a little longer with a winter C.S.A. than you might want.
But that has been Mr. Young’s choice for the last dozen or so years. Not that he is the only one taking advantage of the exploding demand for local produce year round. He is, however, one of the few who focus on fruit in winter. His farm, High Hill Orchard in Meriden, has 13 acres of apples and 8 acres of pears among 25 cultivated acres that also include peaches, plums and other strictly summer fruits and vegetables, which he sells directly from his farm stand.
Friend,
We recently shared with you the news that the barn at Boulder Knoll was set to be demolished. Today, the town began the deconstruction process. We asked you to share your thoughts on the demise of the barn, and here’s what you had to say:
“I had hoped that the barn would become a vibrant headquarters and civic center for historical exhibits, education, experimentation, conservation, horticulture and agriculture: a place for local people to meet and participate in activities fostering responsible use of land.”
Can you help us take better care of our community?
“I would like to see the barn and the land around it used to highlight issues regarding the preservation our CT agricultural heritage, support existing local farmers & raise awareness of the importance of Open Spaces in our state.”
Become a member and celebrate Connecticut’s agricultural heritage.
“Simply saying that the barn would make a great educational site without taking all the financial factors into consideration is naive.”
Contribute today so that next time, we have the resources to step up and get our voices heard.
Thanks for all your help,
Friends of Boulder Knoll
P.S. We did learn some good news about the barn… Salvageable lumber—inlcuding 200 linear feet of center board and 19 first-floor columns—from the Boulder Knoll barn will be put to good use at the Ives Farm property in Cheshire! Can you support us so that we can continue fighting for sustainable communities?
Barn To Be Taken Down: Share Your Thoughts
For years, the red barn on the Boulder Knoll property has sat vacant, slowly withering away, and now is nothing more than a dilapidated old building in need of some serious repair.
For a while, the Town of Cheshire toyed with the idea of restoring the barn to its former glory but, at this point, demolition and removal appears to be the last remaining option.
Share your thoughts with us by posting a comment. How do you feel about the barn at Boulder Knoll being knocked down?
Our CSA has a work-requirement for all members… Part of our mission is to educate folks about sustainable agricultural practices, the natural environment and responsible uses of open space. We believe that asking members for a modest amount of work on the farm is one manifestation of this goal.
Lately, the farm has been abuzz with CSA members lending a hand and getting down and dirty learning about how their food is grown.