My Place is the Highlands

The Highlands is undoubtedly a special region, but the people that call these hills home make it truly extraordinary. These are stories of people that are making a contribution to the rural character and quality of life of the region by serving as stewards of their land and community.

Dave Mollison, Goshen

Dave Mollison loves his land, the mix of Goshen forest and field passed down by his grandfather to his father and then to him. And he's passing on that same appreciation to his six-year-old son, Justin. There's a lot to love on the 80 or so acres he calls home - bear, deer, coyotes and other wildlife, oaks he cuts for firewood, big old trees that provide nest sites for birds and small creatures, wetland areas, and trails for exploring. as president of the Goshen Highlanders Snowmobile Club, he's especially proud of the snowmobile trail that runs through his land. It's one of the main trails in the area, linking up Goshen with others that go far afield into the hills. Continue Reading: Dave Mollison

Bob and Karin Cook, Worthington

The land provides for Karin and Bob Cook of Worthington - and they provide for the land. Moving to their 200-plus acres straddling the Worthington-Peru border in 1973, the Cooks worked long hard days in the woods for over 25 years. First, they renovated the old house and built a sugarhouse. Having no electricity meant using hand tools for early building projects. They tapped their trees and operated a mail-order maple syrup business for 25 years. In the early 1980s, they bought a Mobile Dimension sawmill to cut boards from logs on their own property as well as others. Their own outbuildings and a house in Worthington were built with that wood. Continue Reading: Bob and Karin Cook

Tony and Linda van Werkhooven, Blandford

Tony and Linda van Werkhooven's use of their 400 acres in Blandford has changed over time and now they're looking to its future. In twenty-five years on their land, they've grown Christmas trees, raised sheep, cattle and donkeys, cut firewood and timber, grown vegetables and flowers for themselves and cut hay for local horse owners. Like many families in the Highlands, the van Werkhooven's use of their land changed according to their needs and interests, but their decisions have kept their land active in the region's working landscape. Continue Reading: Tony and Linda van Werkhooven

Cliff Thayer, Splendorview Farm, Cummington

Cliff Thayer of Cummington's Splendorview Farm jokes that he started out with two sheep in 1955, and now he has "too many." It probably feels like too many on cold February nights when he's helping some of his 100 brood ewes deliver the year's batch of lambs. Cold nights aside, Cliff must enjoy his work as he has devoted much of his life to raising sheep on his 160-acre farm, and to promoting sheep husbandry throughout the state. Cliff's children are now the fourth generation farming the family's land, following in the footsteps of their great-grandfather. Before him, Cliff's father, Stanlee Thayer, had dairy cattle until bulk tanks and pasteurizing became the norm. Stanlee used to bottle his raw milk and peddle it throughout the area. Cliff thinks his father was ahead of his time and would fit in well with the recent upsurge in popularity of raw milk. Continue reading: Cliff Thayer

Tevis and Rachel Robertson-Goldberg, Crabapple Farm, Chesterfield

At Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield, Tevis and Rachel Robertson-Goldberg are bringing an old hilltown farm back to life - and to the community. After working for other farmers as apprentices and learning the ropes of farming life, Rachel and Tevis, along with his brother and sister-in-law, Jesse and Desiree, were hooked. Their dream of owning their own farm was supported whole-heartedly by Tevis' parents, Sally and bill Stites-Robertson, who also envisioned a rural, family property where they could eventually retire. In 2002, the family's dreams met with reality in the form of an old, 185-acre dairy farm with overgrown fields and run-down buildings. The farm was at once a challenge and the perfect opportunity. Continue Reading: Crabapple Farm

Ruth and Dave Pardoe, Joy Hill, Huntington

From their 85 acres in Huntington, Ruth and Dave Pardoe enjoy views stretching out over the Westfield River Valley, Mount Pisgah, and beyond. Joy Hill is named in honor of early owners of that hilltop, Revolutionary War soldier Rufus Joy, and his wife, Relief, who are buried in a nearby cemetery. It is a fitting name for a place that gives such pleasure, and Joy Hill’s current owners plan for it to provide pleasure well into the future. Continue Reading: Ruth and Dave Pardoe

David Lashway and Tara O

Tara O'Brien and David Lashway, Williamsburg

Officially, David Lashway of Highland Community Lumber in Williamsburg is in the business of sawing and selling native lumber. But talk for a few minutes with him and you’ll realize that his work isn’t just about wood, it’s also about relationships. David is passionate about the relationships he builds and maintains with many aspects of his community: the land, loggers, foresters, forest owners, other members of the Massachusetts Woodland Cooperative, and dairy farmers to whom he sells sawdust for animal bedding. David says the ‘Community’ in his business name says it all. Read more: Highland Community Lumber

My place is the Highlands Resident Submissions
Send photos or essays about your special place in the Highlands to highlands@ttor.org.

Gobble Mountain, Chester
Submitted by Cathy Roth, Middlefield

Submitted by Cathy Roth, Middlefield

The DAR Forest
Submitted by Denise Cermola, Goshen

Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls
Submitted by Evan Smith

Goshen
Submitted by Evan Smith

Submitted by Jay Alpert, Peru