Josephine & April—two of our cashmere goats

& Farm

This land was farmed (or at least grazed) in the past, and we would like to see some of it producing food, fiber and fuel once again. We envision community garden plots on the common land where residents can grow vegetables, fruits and flowers. We also hope to see pastures and meadows here and there, grazed by sheep, goats and perhaps a few cattle, and of course a barn to house them. We are already blessed with two food-producing farms at the top and bottom of the hill (Savage Road Farm and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm), and while this site is too small to sustain even one family farming full-time, we hope that a reasonable amount of on-site gardening, firewood harvesting, and animal husbandry will be seen as a positive aspect to life at First Light.

Donald logging with Polly our Belgian mare

It may even be possible to expand the farmland and woodlot by leasing adjacent land over time. On the other hand, controls will be built into the condominium documents to ensure that the scale of any farming operation will not detract from the residential character of the neighborhood. To minimize conflict and simplify management, the barn will be privately-owned. Residents will be welcome to lease horse stalls or house chickens, sheep or other small animals in the barn at nominal rates sufficient to cover insurance. Residents may also be allowed to build chicken coops or other small animal sheds in their own yards, as well as use the common pastures.