The families that resided on this property for centuries farmed the land. Historical records refer to orchards, cattle, sheep and potatoes, among other crops. The field directly in front of you is still in agriculture and is hayed by local farmers. Coincidentally, this hayfield is also a nesting ground for grasshopper sparrows, a bird that is now threatened in Massachusetts. As agricultural fields are succeeding into shrub-land, grasshopper habitat is in decline. You might hear the males singing from a perch during the breeding season starting in late May.