Spring Planting

14 May, 2011 Author: gid

Spring overwhelmed us this year. As the ground warmed, nature busied itself: pussy-willows burst forth and the maple bud began to swell; robins, finches, red-winged blackbirds, bluebirds and swallows found their partners and sighted their nests;  muskrats, turtles, snakes and worms woke from dormancy. Meanwhile, we continued the work on the transition: in March, Alex Hackman joined the owners to present a vision for the restoration vision of Beaver Dam Brook to the Manomet Steering Committee. At the MVSC's April meeting, the members voted to support the restoration in concept. In April and May, we went to work planting trial plots:  American Beach grass on "Mars" to counter the continuing erosion caused by the combination of heavy rains and dirt bikers; Atlantic White Cedar on the Eastern edge of the former reservoir; and ferns on the western edge.

Iron Painting

13 May, 2011 Author: Glorianna Davenport

To a photographer, perspective is everything. Walking across the bogs, my eye is sometimes drawn the wide expanse -- earth and sky, horizon, and shape. At other times my eye focuses up close on an intense, often abstract composition -- in this case the pattern of iron in water. In colonial times many sites that later became cranberry bogs in Massachusetts provided a source of Iron ore (hematite). The fact that veins of iron ore exist so close to the earth's surface provides plausible evidence as to why iron was the earliest metal worked by man, and why it remained an important element for over 4,000 years.

Quiet Enjoyment

27 Feb, 2011 Author: Glorianna Davenport

The idea of private property as the right of individuals or firms to purchase, own, control and bequeath land has been an underpinning of our society since the 18th century. Private ownership of land allows the owners to put land to productive use according to their vision of “productive”. Tidmarsh Farms is no exception. While we have chosen to cut back on our cranberry growing activities with the sale of the recent conservation easement, these activities are being replaced with a restoration of Beaver Dam Brook, a Living Observatory for science learning and exploration, and a plant nursery.

Typically owners post large tracts of land to allow non-owners to better understand how the owners feel about trespassers. Our land with "no trespassing", "no hunting", and a “no vehicles beyond this point” signs is no exception. If a person asks and receives permission of the owner to engage in some activity on the land, they are welcome to pursue that activity on our land.

In general, the owners of Tidmarsh Farms support our neighbors in their use of the property for “quiet enjoyment” - but at their own risk. Under the banner of quiet enjoyment, we include such activities as walking, fishing or riding horseback. The owners encourage explicit permission for ice fishing or hunting, and object to the dumping of garbage, building docks or pitching tents and camping on the land.

Throughout our ownership of the farm, by far the most aggravating, unwelcome and destructive trespassers have been those who ride their motorized dirt bikes on the property. If you are a dirt biker, we urge you to pause to think. Your bikes erode the roads, destroy the topsoil of the woods and create a racket. While we understand that you think it is fun, it is not fun for us. Moreover many dirt bikers are arrogant; are unidentifiable in their spider-man outfits, and generally ignore our signal to please stop and talk. It took a front-end loader to stop this chap!