Monthly Archives: September 2010

Moynagh Tree Farm

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A short blurb in an email update from the Opacum Land Trust notified me that a nature walk was scheduled for tonight starting at 6 pm at 181 Podunk Road in Sturbridge.  It’s about a 15 minute drive from my house, so after work, I joined about twenty others for a short tour of the Moynagh Tree Farm. The tour was led by Brimfield forester Scott Gerrish, pictured below.

This 200 acre tract is not clear-cut but is managed, as this photo indicates.  The forest owners are aiming for a mixed-age forest, which, as its name implies, includes trees of different ages: mature, saplings, and those in between.

This property also includes a 15-acre beaver pond; the sun had already set when we arrived:

We made our way back to the farmhouse in the dark, but the trails are wide and not overgrown, so it didn’t matter that we didn’t think to bring flashlights.  Scott and the tree farm owner, Bob Moynagh, provided a good overview of how this one property is managed and also told us fascinating stories about the farm’s history.  I had forgotten to bring a notebook and pencil, so these salient points are what I committed to memory:

Managed Forests.  Forests can be multi-purpose: the trees themselves have market value, but forested land can also be managed for aesthetic and recreational uses, to provide habitat for wildlife, and to protect soil and water.  For example, this particular tract shelters deer, fox, beavers, coyotes, and fisher cats.

Tree Species.  The most valuable trees growing on this property are red oak, white pine, and sugar maple (these are not species names).  Oak is a hard wood in contrast to pine which is a soft wood.  Red oak trees produce acorns every other year as opposed to white oak which produce them annually.  Red oak acorns are bitter due to high tannin content; white oak acorns are sweeter and more palatable, even to humans.

Commercial Use.  Trees are selected for harvesting based on different factors, including height and trunk diameter (dbh).  Most trees suitable for sawmill processing are between 8 and 12 feet tall.  For timber purposes, straight trees without knots are preferred.  The trees on this property are harvested with a forwarder, which picks up the logs and then transports them for processing; this method is less intrusive than dragging the logs over the ground.  Trees which have lesser economic value for timber are cut for firewood.

Chapter 61.  This set of Massachusetts laws offers tax benefits for landowners with at least 10 contiguous acres of land who have developed a long-term management plan for their trees.  Regulations concerning property classification for tax purposes have been on the books for years; however, the current Chapter 61 legislation was revised just a few years ago and has only been in force since 2007 and 2008.

 

Woodstock Fair

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I had never been, so when my friend Anne called and inquired if I wanted to go with her and Hugh to the Woodstock Fair, I replied instantly “Sure!”  I offered to drive the three of us, and shortly after 1 pm, we set off.   I wasn’t in familiar territory, so I’m not exactly sure how we got to the fairgrounds.  First we detoured past the Solair Nudist Camp and gawked at the ‘Mark Castle’ in Southbridge, then I think we took a left onto 197 which eventually intersects with 169 South, which took us into Woodstock.  We had hoped to arrive at the Fair around 2, but we didn’t get there until well after 3 pm, as we ran into a long line of fair-bound traffic just north of Woodstock.  We crawled through Woodstock Center with its famous Roseland Cottage and pulled into the first parking area we saw, which was managed by a non-profit group.  We were glad enough to pay the $5 in order to get out of the car.  It was a beautiful late summer day, sunny with a slight breeze, so perhaps more people than usual decided to enjoy part of the Labor Day weekend at this agricultural and entertainment extravaganza.  According to the website:

In 1809, Woodstock, Brooklyn and Pomfret founded the Pomfret United Agricultural Society, the first in Connecticut.  The name was changed to Windham County Agricultural Society in 1820 and fairs were held every other year in Pomfret and Woodstock.

Though the first ‘Exhibition’ was held in 1859, the first ‘Fair’ was held in 1860, making this the 150th year, as proclaimed by this sand sculpture:

We didn’t have a map of the fairgrounds, but we didn’t really need it, as we decided to simply wander around and take in the sights.  Naturally, one of the first of these sights was the giant pumpkin display!

I loved looking at the animals.  I took this photo of some brown cows, though I wish I had taken a photo of black and white cows; one of the exhibitors told us that they often clip the cow’s hair around its black spots, thus outlining them in blue and making them look rather cool.

Here is a prize chicken:

We admired all the other animals as well, including the pigs, sheep, and rabbits, and also strolled through the exhibits of produce, flowers, baked goods, and crafts.

That’s it for my photos.  Anyway, I don’t think you want to see me covered in powdered sugar from the famous fried dough, which of course I indulged in.  There were acres of food booths, most of it junk food, but hey, it’s the Fair.  We didn’t go overboard:  Anne ordered a salad for dinner and Hugh found a place serving veggie burgers for us vegetarians (mine was quite tasty).  After we ate, we wandered over to the Go-Kart track and watched as these miniature race cars did laps.

Around 8 pm, we headed for the Main Stage at the center of the Fairgrounds and found standing room only.  The featured musical group was Blue Oyster Cult, a heavy metal band from the 70s (“the American answer to Black Sabbath”).  I do remember the group by name but would not have recognized any of their hits.  We stayed to listen to their opening song, but then left for the delights of the Midway.  I don’t play the games (aren’t they rigged?) nor do I go on the rides, but I like seeing people having fun, which I’m sure they were, despite the continuous screaming.  I honestly don’t think the rides are unsafe, and the kids were probably screaming for the hell of it.  Even the child who got stuck at the top of the rock-climbing wall smiled and waved at the bystanders once he had been brought back to ground.  And we did see people walking around with stuffed animals, so there were some straight-shooters in the crowd, or perhaps they were just lucky.  Beyond the whirling lights, we discovered a small collection of antique cars.

Around 9:30, we were ready to call it a day.  It was dark by then, and also a bit chilly (thank goodness we remembered to bring jackets), but the traffic leaving the fair was light and we were soon back in Southbridge, tired and content.