Center for Environment & Society
Owner: Charlotte Staelin
Manager: Teresa Mycek
Location: 31285 Georgetown Cemetery Rd, Georgetown, MD 21930
Driving Time: Approximately 25 minutes, with no tractors or other slow-moving vehicles.
Directions from WC
Take 213 North toward Galena (15 miles), turn left at the light in Galena to remain on 213. About 2 miles down take a left on Georgetown Cemetery Rd, where you will see a sign for Colchester Farm, a house, and a graveyard. The road is unpaved and somewhat bumpy, but keep going until you reach the split, and turn right to park near the barn.
Colchester Farm
A Brief History of Colchester Farm
Colchester Farm today is 345 acres of land in Kent County, Maryland. It lies between the town of Galena to the south and the village of Georgetown on the Sassafras River to the north. It fronts on Maryland Route 213 on the east, and Dyer creek to the west. Before the arrival of Europeans, it was populated mainly by Tockwogh Indians. By 1632, King George I of England was convinced of the worthiness of the land and granted a Charter to George Calvert, 1st Lord of Baltimore, to plan and settle what was to be called the Maryland Colony. By 1673 the first documents referring to Colchester Farm show that Lord Baltimore granted 1000 acres to one William Palmer at this location. And in 1778 "Charles, Absolute Lord" granted the majority of present day Colchester lands to William Pearce, around 800 acres at the time. Colchester Farm was to remain in the Pearce family for over eighty years.
Colchester Farm began to be used for tobacco production. By the early 1700s records show that Pearce switched mainly to grains, vegetables and fruit production. According to Kent County Courthouse records, in 1832 James Pearce deeded his land to his sister, who then married Joseph Malsburger. By 1859 Malsburger had died and the farm remained in trust for the Civil War period. During the time the farm was in trust, there was a dispute about the boundaries and ownership. In 1875 Simon Woodall's son, Andrew Woodall, bought Colchester Farm from the trustees for $29,000. In 1900 Kent County was still an isolated and sparsely populated area with no paved roads. The Woodall family continued to own Colchester farm; in 1898 it was deeded to James E. Woodall, great, great grandson of Simon, then to his wife, Justine, then to his two daughters in their turn. The present owner is Justine's granddaughter.
From 1957 to the present the majority of Colchester Farm has been used to grow feed grains, corn, wheat, barley and soybeans. The Chance family, grandfather Earl, father Andy, and grandson Jakey, continue to work the feed grain operations. Like other 'traditional' farmers in Kent County, the Chances need to farm several farms to remain in the farming business. In the last fifteen years Colchester Farm has been slowly reconditioned and improved by having both a resident owner and a dedicated group of volunteers to guide it into the future. In 2003, a Community Supported Agriculture Project (CSA) was created on ten acres of the Farm under the direction of Andy Andrews, as well as a dedicated Core Group of volunteers. Today the CSA has grown to include over 100 members under the direction of manager Teresa Mycek, with the assistance of a number of interns and volunteers throughout the growing season.
Sites of Interest on the Farm
- The basement of the farmhouse dates from the 18th century and was likely the location of the first structure on the property. The portion of the house over the basement was rebuilt around 1880, while the main section of the farmhouse was completed in 1846. The graveyard behind the house belonged to the Pearce family and dates before the Civil War.
- The farm was probably the location of a local fortification used during the War of 1812. A cannon ball shot onto the farm during that time was discovered in the 1930s or 40s while plowing.
- There is a classroom sized building on the land suitable for lectures, with a sink for washing brushes, etc.
- The land backs onto the Sassafras River and Dyer Creek and is bordered by erosion buffers, planted with funding from the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
- The working farm consists of fields of grain, soybeans, and corn. There are also a small number of dairy cows, and one very personable chicken. All of the CSA tractors are run with soy diesel.
- 50 acres are set aside for permanent conservation easement, providing habitat for 55 species of birds and other native wildlife. 40 acres are also planted in native-species trees.
- A high tunnel to extend the season, which also provides additional opportunities for research.
- Open for long-term research or thesis projects, upon special arrangement.
Cost
- $10/ class/ trip
- $10/ hour for staff time (tour, background information, demonstrations, etc)
- $100 honorarium for lectures
Special arrangements for long-term research or thesis projects available. Also opportunities for student internships and work-share type arrangements.
Art
- A scenic view of the Sassafras River, Georgetown Marina, and bordering Dyer Creek
- Views of open farmland, a picturesque, traditional barn, grain silo, and farmhouse
- Vegetables, farm machinery, cows, chickens, and occasional local wildlife provide prime opportunities for painting, drawing, or photography
Business Management
- An opportunity to discuss the effects of government subsidies on agriculture, examine a working farm firsthand, and discuss the business opportunities related to traditional farming, co-ops, and CSA management
- Lecture opportunity on the growth of industrial agriculture in the US
Creative Writing
- Beautiful and inspiring views for travel writing and descriptive writing exercises
- A farm rich with history, bordering on a town with a similarly rich history
History/Anthropology
- A historic farmhouse, graveyard, and possible battle site from the War of 1812
- Lecture opportunity on an overview of the history of agriculture
- A landscape rich with local history
Political Science
- Lecture opportunity to directly observe the effects of USDA and EPA policies on a working farm
- A chance to discuss the effect of agricultural subsidies, the Farm Bill, the connection between farms and local politics, etc
Science/Environmental Studies
- A wide variety of habitats including grassland, forest, marsh, and water
- A chance to examine pesticide and chemical free soil compared to traditionally farmed soil (on the same land)
- CRP buffers, which have an effect on nutrient runoff, erosion, and soil quality, as well as providing habitats
- An opportunity to discuss the effects of EPA regulations, USDA standards for organic farming, and the effects of environmental policy on an actual working farm, including issues such as watershed management and development
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782