Press Releases

Hardwick Historical Society and East Quabbin Land Trust Join Forces for --- FARMING IN HARDWICK: THEN AND NOW

Sheila Mackinnon
Hardwick Historical Society
Phone: (413) 477-0237
E-mail: [email protected]

In the old days almost everyone in Hardwick was a farmer and the town was considered a model of progressive agriculture. It was renowned for its high quality butter and cheese, and its annual Hardwick Fair that offered locals a chance to demonstrate their products as well as livestock that helped create them.

Within this farming community certain families were dominant: The Ruggles, who with their friends and extended families first settled here in 1738; the Mixters who also arrived in the eighteenth century, whose progressive land acquisitions grew into a mega farm, and the Paiges who acquired fortunes elsewhere but shared them with their hometown.

The Hardwick Historical Society will trace the evolution of its farms from their beginnings as parts of a tiny outpost settlement through the heydays as models of progressive agriculture, and the gradual shift from many farms to a just a few farms, complemented with numerous enthusiastic gardeners. We will learn about Calvin Paige’s legacy agricultural endowment and the growth of the Hardwick Farmers Coop.

We will hear from a speakers’ panel about varied farming experiences including: growing up on a farm; operating a modern farm, The Hardwick Coop’s role in past and current local farming, and about efforts to revive farming as it was once practiced in years past.

The meeting will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 16th (rain day October 17th) at the East Quabbin Land Trust headquarters on Ridge Road. The event is free, although donations are always appreciated, and free parking is available. Refreshments will be served and guests are invited to explore the magnificent EQLT property. For more information call: Sheila Mackinnon (413) 477-0237