Welcome to Winterberry Farm
Winterberry Farm is a small family farm, now located in Colrain MA. We raise sheep, angora rabbits, mohair goats, and several kinds of poultry; we grow vegetables, herbs and flowers just for family use. We also teach small groups- kids, families and adults, encouraging people to regain skills necessary to provide food, clothing and shelter. We see the farm as a place where people can explore- in lots of nitty-gritty, hands-on ways- their spiritual need of and responsibility for the earth.
A Beautiful 50 Acres
We're on a beautiful 50 acre hillside farm, with open land for grazing. We have space for small gardens, lots of forested land, a pond and a small stream. The old barn here burned down many years ago; since coming we've built a small sheep barn, a goat shed, and poultry shelters. The house has lots of fiber space as well as lots of program space- we feel most fortunate.
Share This Lovely Place
Until quite recently we have been part-time farmers, holding other jobs for a goodly share of our livelihood. Both of us grew up in suburban homes, so we've done a lot of learning over the years. It gives us joy to share what we've learned and watch others enjoy the farm.
About the Farmers
Jim Lyons and Jill Horton-Lyons are the farmers. We began farming in 1985 in Leverett, raising sheep and poultry in addition to the flower and vegetable gardens we had grown for many years. For Jill, the sheep led to spinning and then knitting and then weaving. From 1993 until 1999, the farm moved to Deerfield and was part of Woolman Hill Conference Center, where we developed and ran farm and textile programs for that Quaker Center. The farm then returned to Leverett until late fall of 2013 when we- and the animals- settled on this beautiful land in Colrain.