I like trees. Much of my time is spent trying to protect them and the land they grow on. But Roaring Brook Road in Conway is a special place because of the fields that have no trees. Centuries of farming have removed the trees and stumps; you can see the distant forest without your view being blocked by trees. Mother Nature did not do this; farmers did.
When I moved to Conway there were about a dozen dairy farms. Now nearly all are gone. The economics of farming continues to change and few farmers chose to keep up. Horses and wagons have been replaced by tractors and unsightly equipment. Would Monet have chosen to paint fields of giant plastic-covered hay rolls? Despite these changes fields continue to reveal the forests beyond.
Unfortunately the loss of farms allows trees to move in and many of our best views are already gone. I think of the curve where Graves Road meets 116. That used to provide a grand introduction to Conway, a view much like Roaring Brook’s. The fields are still there but trees now block the view.
If we lose Ron Boyden’s farm many of his fields will be overgrown, first with brush and then with trees. There are fields all over town that Ron keeps open with corn or hay. Views along 116, Shelburn Falls Road as well as Roaring Brook will vanish. But perhaps not everywhere. As long as the hay market remains vibrant some fields will remain, though it is hard to predict which ones.
Solar panels can provide the extra income that a farm like Boyden’s needs to continue. They are not as beautiful as horses and hay stacks but they are increasingly essential. Some folks don’t mind if they cannot see the forest because it is obscured by trees. But for those of us who want to see the forest, solar panels are the best option. And while one set of panels cannot stop climate change, joining the well-oiled forces in opposition to solar can insure that it continues.
Jack Lochhead
Conway