Mainstone Farm Anniversary Walking Route, Stop #5

Land Use

The stone wall that hugs the trail is a sign that this land was likely used as pasture for livestock in past centuries. In fact, this pasture at Mainstone Farm was used for Guernsey cows beginning in the 1870s—the first Guernsey herd in Massachusetts.

While the operation has changed a lot in 150 years, it is still an active farm, with a farm stand that provides local, healthy food to the community.

The same cannot be said for a majority of the pastures and farmland that were prevalent in 19th century New England. In the early 1800s, much of New England's forests were cleared for sheep or cow pastures, and stone walls like this one were built to contain them. Later in the century, local farming declined as agriculture shifted from New England to the Midwest.

The abandoned pasture fields filled in with saplings of white pine and other plants that grow quickly and provide high-quality timber. As a result, during the early 1900s, many forests were cleared again by logging operations.

Today, most forests in Massachusetts are about 80 to 100 years old, having grown from land that was once cleared. Our forests have been, and continue to be, shaped as much by people as by natural ecological processes.

This is the last stop on the Mainstone Farm Anniversary Walking Route. We hope you enjoyed listening to the history of the land and learning about the many benefits it gives to the community.

Thank you for coming!