Spring Walk and Tour – Stone Farm in Dunbarton
May 1, 2016 – A rainy day in May was a great time to tour a soon-to-be-conserved farm! At least that’s what 68 hearty participants thought on Sunday May 1.
All gathered in the Stone Farm Dairy Barn for introductions and information about the effort of Five Rivers and the Friends of Stone Farm to conserve this 200+ acre historic farm, in the Stone Family since the 1780’s. Then a rainbow of colorful raincoats and umbrellas paraded out into the property to explore the agricultural history of the farm, fields and forests.
Jim Garvin fascinated the group with information about the cellar hole and foundation of the Beard Tavern, homestead and barn, the first home on the property. An old photo of the house helped us all see how the remaining stone work supported this once large structure.
Jeremy Turner, forester with Meadowsend Timberlands, showed the group a recent harvest area, explaining how forest management compliments agricultural activities on New England farms, and how trees were selected for this harvest. Five Rivers’ Executive Director Beth McGuinn, farm owner Judy Stone and her sister-in-law Marion who grew up on the farm, discussed past and current crops grown at Stone Farm, its connection to today’s local food movement and they imagined how farming and crops will change in the future.
