by George Looby, DVM
In October the first of a series of three statewide workshops was held at the Senexet Grange in Woodstock, CT to discuss the workings of the several land trust programs existing within the state and means of achieving greater uniformity and clarity in the way in which they are presented to the land owners who may be interested in participating. This series of meetings was developed by the American Farmland Trust (ATF) in partnership with the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) and the Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) to develop model easement terms and conditions to include in conservation easements that are protecting land for agricultural use. Continue reading
Category Archives: New England Farm Weekly
How sweet it is: Goat milk caramels at Big Picture Farm
by Laura Rodley
When Louisa Conrad and Lucas Farrell came to Peaked Mountain Farm in Townshend, VT three years ago to help with farm-caretaking, they didn’t know that they would start a thriving candy business, selling award winning caramels made from their own goat’s milk online and wholesale to 200 stores nationwide. They had an inkling only of a small business when they took on caretaking of sheep for the sheep dairy with permission to bring their own goats.
Since then, they have purchased 87 acres of the farm on top of steep Peaked Mountain Road, renamed it Big Picture Farm, and have four full time employees. Continue reading
Celebrating Agriculture 2013
by George Looby, DVM
For the past dozen years a group of interested citizens in the Town of Woodstock, CT have sponsored and produced an event which they call Celebrating Agriculture. The day focuses strictly on the people in Woodstock and surrounding communities who earn their living working in one of the many phases of agriculture. Continue reading
Fiber Festival of New England
by George Looby, DVM
The many varied facets of New England agriculture was never more evident than on the weekend of Nov. 2-3, when producers of products made from animal fiber filled the Mallary Pavilion located on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA.
Today every New England State has a group of sheep breeders who promote the products those animals provide and these people were very much in evidence at this show. In recent years Alpacas have assumed an important role as a source of fiber for the production of a wide variety of articles. Continue reading
