Peterson Farm LbNA #76307
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Nearby Boxes
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Add Location| Owner: | Kia  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 26, 2022 |
| Location: | Peterson Farm |
| City: | Falmouth |
| County: | Barnstable |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Found by: | MickeyMouse (2) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Apr 10, 2023 |
| Status: | FF |
| Last edited: | Sep 27, 2022 |
There are two boxes hidden on the Peterson Farm! A trail map link can be found on the bottom of the page.
To get to Peterson Farm: turn off of Woods Hole Road onto McCallum Dr. There is a conservation sign pointing to the right as soon as you make this turn. Head up then down the road until you get to a small parking area where the kiosk is and pastures start.
Box 1: Cows! Head down the main trail in between the two pastures. At the end of the fenced pastures, turn left and head all the way to the end of the fence. This will bring you to the furtherest northwest corner of the pasture. At the very corner, the trail will split and either keep following the fence left, or head right into the brush. Take the trail heading right into the brush. You will quickly come to another fork. Take the trail to the left and walk roughly 70 steps. You will see stone walls through the bushes on the right. There is a less traveled trail leading to the opening in the stone wall. This is the old barn foundation! Walk to the entrance of the barn. Take care as there are a lot of thorns! Turn left and look down. You will see a rock about 3 feet from the entrance. The Cows! box is under this rock (it may be covered in dirt)! There is no ink pad or writing utensil!
Box 2: Sheep! Head down the main trail in between the two pastures. At the end of the fenced pastures, you will see a stone bench on the right with the inscription "I get paid but not in money" by Mel Miller, Steward, The 300 Committee (1935-2015). Take the trail to the left of this bench. You will quickly come to a fork. Take the right trail and walk roughly 35 steps. While counting, you will follow the trail as it bends right, step over a fallen tree, and encounter some large rocks. Past the first largest rock (at 30 steps) is a smaller one (at 35 steps) with a small overhang. Under the overhang is the Sheep! box hidden beneath a small stone and leaf litter. There is no ink pad or writing utensil!
Peterson Farm History
A short distance from the heavily-traveled Woods Hole Road are the tranquil pastures of Peterson Farm, where sheep graze. Surrounding the fields are pine and oak woods with trails that connect to Beebe Woods and Miles Pond, also known as Ice House Pond.
Peterson Farm was purchased by the town in 1998. Because the Petersons benefited from a Chapter 61A farmland tax abatement, they were required to offer the town the right of first refusal when they decided to sell the 88-acre farm. A buyer was waiting in line if the town didn’t approve the purchase in 120 days. That pushed The 300 Committee into high gear. In short order, the land trust raised $500,000, including $100,000 from Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries, Inc., to contribute to the $3 million purchase price. The state contributed another $500,000 in state Self-Help reimbursement funds.
One of the oldest farms on Cape Cod, the land was granted to John Weeks in 1679 and was farmed by the Weeks family for almost 300 years. They raised cattle and sheep and maintained orchards and cropland. Wool was the primary source of income for most of the farm’s history, so when demand for wool declined in the late 1800s and early 1900s, family members turned to other occupations. The farmhouse was finally abandoned and torn down. The foundation to the barn still exists beside the path to Miles Pond.
In 1949, the farm was sold to Captain John Peterson, who grew vegetables and fruit on the land for his Cape Codder Hotel.
Today, the town uses the sheep not for their wool but for the practical purpose of keeping the grass and invasive plants “mowed” so that the fields remain open. New shepherds Simon Thorrold and Diana Wickman have recently brought a new flock of hair sheep to the farm and are hoping to add some wool sheep later on, with the intent of using the sheep to train their border collies.
The farm has abundant natural resources, with pond, marsh, grasses and woodland. Deer, fox and coyote visit the fields in search of food, and otter live in the marsh. The variety of birds, especially migrating birds, makes the farm a popular spot for birdwatchers.
- 300 Committee (download a map here: https://300committee.org/conservation-lands-2/peterson-farm/)
Hike length: 1 mile
To get to Peterson Farm: turn off of Woods Hole Road onto McCallum Dr. There is a conservation sign pointing to the right as soon as you make this turn. Head up then down the road until you get to a small parking area where the kiosk is and pastures start.
Box 1: Cows! Head down the main trail in between the two pastures. At the end of the fenced pastures, turn left and head all the way to the end of the fence. This will bring you to the furtherest northwest corner of the pasture. At the very corner, the trail will split and either keep following the fence left, or head right into the brush. Take the trail heading right into the brush. You will quickly come to another fork. Take the trail to the left and walk roughly 70 steps. You will see stone walls through the bushes on the right. There is a less traveled trail leading to the opening in the stone wall. This is the old barn foundation! Walk to the entrance of the barn. Take care as there are a lot of thorns! Turn left and look down. You will see a rock about 3 feet from the entrance. The Cows! box is under this rock (it may be covered in dirt)! There is no ink pad or writing utensil!
Box 2: Sheep! Head down the main trail in between the two pastures. At the end of the fenced pastures, you will see a stone bench on the right with the inscription "I get paid but not in money" by Mel Miller, Steward, The 300 Committee (1935-2015). Take the trail to the left of this bench. You will quickly come to a fork. Take the right trail and walk roughly 35 steps. While counting, you will follow the trail as it bends right, step over a fallen tree, and encounter some large rocks. Past the first largest rock (at 30 steps) is a smaller one (at 35 steps) with a small overhang. Under the overhang is the Sheep! box hidden beneath a small stone and leaf litter. There is no ink pad or writing utensil!
Peterson Farm History
A short distance from the heavily-traveled Woods Hole Road are the tranquil pastures of Peterson Farm, where sheep graze. Surrounding the fields are pine and oak woods with trails that connect to Beebe Woods and Miles Pond, also known as Ice House Pond.
Peterson Farm was purchased by the town in 1998. Because the Petersons benefited from a Chapter 61A farmland tax abatement, they were required to offer the town the right of first refusal when they decided to sell the 88-acre farm. A buyer was waiting in line if the town didn’t approve the purchase in 120 days. That pushed The 300 Committee into high gear. In short order, the land trust raised $500,000, including $100,000 from Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries, Inc., to contribute to the $3 million purchase price. The state contributed another $500,000 in state Self-Help reimbursement funds.
One of the oldest farms on Cape Cod, the land was granted to John Weeks in 1679 and was farmed by the Weeks family for almost 300 years. They raised cattle and sheep and maintained orchards and cropland. Wool was the primary source of income for most of the farm’s history, so when demand for wool declined in the late 1800s and early 1900s, family members turned to other occupations. The farmhouse was finally abandoned and torn down. The foundation to the barn still exists beside the path to Miles Pond.
In 1949, the farm was sold to Captain John Peterson, who grew vegetables and fruit on the land for his Cape Codder Hotel.
Today, the town uses the sheep not for their wool but for the practical purpose of keeping the grass and invasive plants “mowed” so that the fields remain open. New shepherds Simon Thorrold and Diana Wickman have recently brought a new flock of hair sheep to the farm and are hoping to add some wool sheep later on, with the intent of using the sheep to train their border collies.
The farm has abundant natural resources, with pond, marsh, grasses and woodland. Deer, fox and coyote visit the fields in search of food, and otter live in the marsh. The variety of birds, especially migrating birds, makes the farm a popular spot for birdwatchers.
- 300 Committee (download a map here: https://300committee.org/conservation-lands-2/peterson-farm/)
Hike length: 1 mile