The area is semi-rural and coastal, with a population of approximately 18,000. The town occupies a 43-square-mile area that borders the state of Rhode Island. The locale is a favorite of the New York arts community, drawing both year-round and summer residents.
I purchased my property to fulfill a dream. I wanted to grow cut-flowers for sale. The land is perfect for my purposes. Zoned for farming, it has a good well to supply water. The property was cleared of trees and planted to lawn. Unfortunately, bittersweet, a vicious invasive vine, controlled what I called “the back forty.” It took years to cut back vines and grub out roots. Now the back lot is home to an ever-increasing number of beds for annual flowers.
At lunch the other day, I talked about my small farm with friends. They remind me that an acre is about the sized of a football field. Though I own the whole football field, I cultivate only about a third of it.