the haiku circle
The Red House Tree Farm....
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is a 27 acre property located in Northfield, Massachusetts comprised of three major habitats: acid oak/pine woodland, spring-fed pond & shoreline, and a stream valley.
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The Red House. Photo by Bill Deegan.
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The pond is supplied with water from many underground springs, and flowage from the Upper pond (6 acres) and a four square mile watershed extending North to the Vermont border. This feeding pond/swamp system supports another ecosystem worthy of a long walk or a short drive.
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Path to the pond.
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The land & water are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life - which each year can be explored and photographed in detail during a guided nature walk. There is a walking path around the pond's West end. Pond-edge flora, and maybe a deer or a fox may be seen, studied, and enjoyed.
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A bit of flora.
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The farm is owned by Haiku Circle hosts Nate & Ros Tufts. The property was bought by Nate Sr. in 1922, 500 acres in all. Much of the upper watershed has since been sold to Mass. Fish and Wildlife, and will remain undeveloped. Today three generations of Tufts share the woods and the waters in all seasons.
Each year the Tufts work to make the property more self-sustaining for future generations. In 2011, they added a photo-voltaic array to help remove them from the grid, much of their hot water is generated by a solar panel. |
Hosts, Nate & Ros Tufts
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