Historic O'Neil Farm / News & Events

Holy Family Church Volunteers Repair Barn

A wonderful team of 36 teens and ten adults from Holy Family Church Appalachian Service Project converged at the O'Neil Farm on June 12 to repair the barn. These hardworking young people were practicing repair and construction in preparation for a trip to West Virginia, where they will do similar work.

They quickly divided into groups: some painted siding, some removed old shingles and tacks, some removed window frames, and others climbed ladders to paint faceboards at the top of the roof gable. After the surfaces were prepared, Tyvek was applied, new window frames set in and primed, and siding attached. The final coat of trim paint was applied on the following Saturday. And voila! Two sides of the barn have a decidedly new look!

This energetic group is part of the Appalachian Service Project, an organization which sends groups of volunteers to "to make houses warmer, safer, and drier." And that's exactly what they did for the barn. We are indeed grateful that they chose our farm for their practice days so the O'Neil cows will be warmer and more secure in the barn next winter.


	Can You Solve the Mystery?

We found this intriguing old brick in the cellar hole beside our Autumn Avenue trailhead parking lot and know nothing about the manufacturer. The lettering on the brick reads "B. Hedge Plymouth, Mass." Hopefully one of our readers knows the history of this brick factory and will share the information with us. The cellar hole probably belonged to another farmhouse in the neighborhood. Thanks in advance for helping to solve our mystery. The winner's name and information will be featured in our next Historic O'Neil Farm newsletter!


	Calf Corner

Spring and Summer have been very busy birthing times at O'Neil Farm. Several new heifer calves have joined our herd. We welcomed "Butterfinger," a sweet Guernsey, on April 4. "Jade" soon followed on May 6 — she is so pretty! June gave us two more calves – "Tangueray" on the 14th and "Brie" on the 18th. Brie is very petite, but her personality makes up for her size. Tanqueray has cute big ears that make her look like she could fly! They will be ready to greet you at the September 20th Farm Day... Please come to meet them!


	Farmtastic 4-H Club News

The Farmtastic 4-H Club has had an active and productive season. The members have all been working hard at the barn preparing for the shows. Four Farmtastic 4-H girls entered their cows in the Westport Fair in July, and "Bailey" once again came home with Best in Show! Congratulations to Bailey!

There will be 23 cows from Historic O'Neil Farm, Inc. showing at the Marshfield Fair this year. We all wish their handlers the best of luck. The 4-Hers have been working very hard to get their cows in perfect shape for the Fair, and it shows. Club members are certain to return to the farm with lots of ribbons!


	Proposed "Chandler Trail" in the Works

We are thrilled about our recently-awarded $25,000 grant from the Massachusetts Greenways Program to help with the cost of the new trail we are planning north of Autumn Avenue. To be named the "Chandler Trail," in honor of another of the families prominent in the early days of the farm, this 1 mile walking trail will take visitors through several habitats, including fields, woods and wetlands.

This winter we will be designing stream crossings and completing some leveling and grading. Trail clearing will begin in earnest after that, and volunteers will be needed to pitch in. If you would like to help, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Lorrie Hall, at (781) 934-7321.

We also will urgently need cash donations for fencing, signs and other materials. Thank you in advance for your help, and we hope everyone will enjoy this second walking trail on Historic O'Neil Farm.