Our Story
Rusty plowshares and crockery shards tell the early story of our farmstead, which has been worked since the early 1800s. Old photographs show a vast expanse of hayfields. The introduction of cattle is proved by strands of elderly barbed wire, now enveloped by trees in our present-day woods. Draft horseshoes found on a far-flung plateau hold a tantalizing clue to what could be possible once again.
In 1954, Hurricane Edna claimed the lives of then-residents George & Arlene Edwards, leaving their 11 children to fend for themselves. The land provided a hardscrabble living, as circumstances forced an emphasis on basic survival. Soil fertility declined and sloping fields and stream banks bear evidence of erosion. Sustainable farming was dismissed as either a foreign concept or an unaffordable luxury. Children's shoe soles and shards of soda bottles from that era still show up when we work the soil.
In the 1980s, Sue Mack took up residence on the land. With a band of friends, she reclaimed over two acres of pastureland and built a small post-and-beam barn. Re-introduced livestock included pigs, sheep, and a Jersey cow. Soon after, friends reconvened to raise a post-and-beam woodshop. An onsite business began, building custom hand-crafted furniture. Two sons were raised up on the land as well, accompanied by their ever-faithful blind Border Collie, Gyp.
Holly Morrison joined the farm in the late 1990s, arriving on site with a big box of seeds and twenty bare-root fruit trees. Sue and Holly redoubled their efforts and decided it was time to recreate a true working farmstead. They visited a wide range of organic and sustainable farms throughout New England as they sought the most suitable approaches, the best livestock breeds and most appropriate plant varieties. A commitment to respectful earth-stewardship led them to favour pre-industrial methods. Their shared love for Celtic folk culture blended naturally with their love of organic agriculture, and Tir na nOg Farm was born.
Today, the work of restoration continues with the help of farm partners, family, friends, WWOOFers, and other volunteers. Permaculture projects and financial planning are underway to ensure the farm's long-term sustainability. This land is already better than we found it, but we hope it will remain a gathering-ground of culture and agriculture, tradition and innovation for generations to come.
In 1954, Hurricane Edna claimed the lives of then-residents George & Arlene Edwards, leaving their 11 children to fend for themselves. The land provided a hardscrabble living, as circumstances forced an emphasis on basic survival. Soil fertility declined and sloping fields and stream banks bear evidence of erosion. Sustainable farming was dismissed as either a foreign concept or an unaffordable luxury. Children's shoe soles and shards of soda bottles from that era still show up when we work the soil.
In the 1980s, Sue Mack took up residence on the land. With a band of friends, she reclaimed over two acres of pastureland and built a small post-and-beam barn. Re-introduced livestock included pigs, sheep, and a Jersey cow. Soon after, friends reconvened to raise a post-and-beam woodshop. An onsite business began, building custom hand-crafted furniture. Two sons were raised up on the land as well, accompanied by their ever-faithful blind Border Collie, Gyp.
Holly Morrison joined the farm in the late 1990s, arriving on site with a big box of seeds and twenty bare-root fruit trees. Sue and Holly redoubled their efforts and decided it was time to recreate a true working farmstead. They visited a wide range of organic and sustainable farms throughout New England as they sought the most suitable approaches, the best livestock breeds and most appropriate plant varieties. A commitment to respectful earth-stewardship led them to favour pre-industrial methods. Their shared love for Celtic folk culture blended naturally with their love of organic agriculture, and Tir na nOg Farm was born.
Today, the work of restoration continues with the help of farm partners, family, friends, WWOOFers, and other volunteers. Permaculture projects and financial planning are underway to ensure the farm's long-term sustainability. This land is already better than we found it, but we hope it will remain a gathering-ground of culture and agriculture, tradition and innovation for generations to come.
