Land Ethic
Since the 1940’s the Payne family has cared for this land through active management with the goal of healthy forests, fields and pastures. The Black Angus herd grazes the pastures in the summer and feeds on hay from these fields in the winter. Firewood and sawlog sales from the woodlands supplement the beef and hay operations. Responsible mowing, grazing and logging practices ensure the long term sustainability of the resources. More recently, John Payne began actively conserving lands in perpetuity to protect them for real estate development and to ensure these lands remain a working rural landscape for Shelburne's future. ​
Land Acknowledgement
With gratitude, we honor the Nipmuc, Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), and Pocumtuc peoples, whose deep relationship with this land—where we now tend cattle, hay, and forest—stretches back since time immemorial. We acknowledge their displacement and the resilience of their living connections to these hills and waters. Our family’s commitment, through conservation and daily care, is a small extension of their enduring stewardship. May our actions honor their past and help protect this land for all who call it home in the future. Credit to https://native-land.ca/
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Conservation
Much of Foxbard Farm lands are under a temporary form of protection from development known in Massachusetts as Chapter 61(for woodlands) and Chapter 61A (for farmland). In addition, two areas are under Conservation Restriction with the Town of Shelburne and the Franklin Land Trust, ensuring protection from development in perpetuity. Importantly, these restrictions allow for ongoing farming and forestry activity, to maintain the working agrarian landscape. We are committed to maintaining and protecting this land forever, and are actively working towards permanent conservation restrictions on additional land at Foxbard Farm.
Ecological Forestry
Foxbard Farm harvests timber at one or more of our four woodlots most years. Each of these areas is covered by a 10-year Management Plan with DCR, and we work with a forester and a logger to carry out these cuts according to each plan and to best management practices. We also sometimes receive cost-sharing from federal and state sources that help us afford cutting with ecosystem, habitat and/or invasives management goals, where the timber quality is poor. We sell sawlogs to local sawmills and cordwood to local families. Our sawmill has limited capacity now but previously also allowed us to generate bedding for the herd and some custom milling for the community.
Community
Foxbard Farm is pleased to host the Wooded Loop Trail, a modest trail system developed and maintained by the Shelburne Open Space Committee, off Old Greenfield Road. With interpretive panels and tree identification tags along the way, a walk in these woods is a great place to learn about trees, timber harvesting, wildlife, forest regrowth, and climate change. Please be cautious when timber harvesting activities are underway.