The Water's Edge

11/05/2024

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10/31/2024

Happy Halloween!

10/28/2024

Had a great time hosting a local girl scout troop again this past weekend (this was the second year in a row we have hosted)! Once again, the scouts were extremely bright and learned a lot about the farm, chickens, horses, and beekeeping. Thanks so much to the troop leaders, our boarders, and beekeeper for helping make the event a success!

10/10/2024

If you live in Sudbury and are considering a fall delivery of our composted manure, please reach out to us in the next few weeks. We will be fulfilling several orders later this fall while supply lasts and there are savings to "stacking" these deliveries since the cost of preparing and cleaning the equipment involved can be spread across multiple invoices. As a reminder, our composted manure is free to pick up and the labor for delivery is invoiced at our standard contracting rate of $70 per hour (each delivery typically takes an hour or so and averages at about a yard of compost). Our compost is unscreened and comprised mostly of horse manure that has been allowed to decompose with other organic matter, and we never use any artificial chemicals, fertilizers, or insecticides on the property, rendering a rich, natural fertilizer perfect for gardens, plantings, yards, etc. that is best when turned over at approximately a 50/50 ratio with existing or delivered topsoil. We can drop it at any location that can be accessed by truck or tractor with a 5-foot wide berth.

09/24/2024

For the past few years, we have partnered with Nancy Mulford, local beekeeper and owner of Three Dog Apiary, in a pilot program hosting honey bee hives on our property. After lots of hard work (on her and the bees part!) and a very productive year, we have a second limited batch available after last fall's first harvest! Three Dog Honey is small-batch, raw, unfiltered honey. Raw means that the honey is bottled without being heated. Bottling the honey raw maintains its antimicrobial qualities. Unfiltered refers to the method of straining honey after it has been extracted from the hive. Nancy uses a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the wax, but the strainer allows small bits of pollen to remain in the honey. Every pound of honey harvested requires forager honey bees to visit two million blossoms, right here in our neighborhood! Nancy has generously made these available as part of our fundraising efforts to complete our chicken coop restoration project, which is on track to be completed by the end of the year. Anyone giving $25 or more will automatically receive a jar while supplies last - you can contribute online here: https://www.thewatersedge.org/support. Thank you to those who have already given - we will be circulating a progress update later this month.

09/07/2024

We are again accepting volunteers of all ages and skill levels to help with farm chores and stable work. The commitment can start at as little as an hour a week with very flexible timing that can work around almost any schedule, and provides an excellent outdoor learning opportunity for anyone looking for more exposure to horses or farms and stables in general. After completing service, we are also able to serve as a reference for future volunteering, employment, or educational programs, and sometimes qualify for credit with certain youth and volunteer organizations. Please feel free to spread the word!

06/04/2024

This lovely lady chose our yard for laying her eggs this morning. We love snapper season!

03/06/2024

We have one vacancy upcoming in our horse boarding program. If you or anyone you know is interested, please reach out!

https://www.thewatersedge.org/stable

We are a full board facility dedicated to creating a relaxed environment for horses and boarders alike. We only board up to five horses at a time in common turnout and specialize in natural horsemanship practices. We implement elements of the Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices' (AANHCP) Paddock Paradise system, including 24/7 access to paddocks with differing topographies, varied subsurfaces, and widely dispersed feed stations utilizing ultra slow Hay Chix hay nets and ample first cut hay, so our horses can slowly consume throughout the day and night, more closely imitating natural grazing behavior. We set out more hay nets than horses, reducing competition and flashpoints for conflict, and the nets keep hay off the ground, reducing waste and preventing ingestion of foreign matter and pathogens. We provide access to clean, potable drinking water, including heated water troughs in the colder months, as well as a mineral salt block. We stall horses only during feedings (or temporarily at an owner's or veterinarian's discretion), when twice daily each horses receives whatever feed, medications, and supplements the owner instructs (all stocked at cost) and are likewise blanketed - or not blanketed - at their owner's instruction. We muck all stalls, riding areas, and paddocks daily, and deliver the consolidated droppings as composted manure to local gardeners. We feature a well-lit 55' round pen and 100' x 50' open arena on site for training and riding, both of which are kept clear during the winter months. Less than a 1/2 mile easy walk or ride down our quiet street (no trailering necessary), we have access to extensive riding trails in hundreds of acres of nearby conservation land in the Sudbury Memorial Forest and associated conservation areas. We have a team of local experienced equine professionals that we recommend - including a veterinarian, equine dentist, farrier, barefoot trimmer, and trainer - but boarders are also welcome to use their existing providers. We live on site, enjoy close relationships with all our neighbors, and maintain security cameras, and as such are able to provide nearly 24/7 observation of the horses. We encourage boarders to treat the stable as their own; we have no limited hours of operation and all family and friends are welcome anytime, with a signed release if they intend to enter inside the fenceline. Our boarding fee is presently ~$900 per month, subject to hay prices, and all feed, medications, supplements, supplies, etc. are stocked at cost (that is, at the same price as the owner supplying these on their own). Please contact us for a tour to see if we match your and your horse's needs!

01/08/2024

Our first decent snow storm in a while!

01/06/2024

We may be getting our first real snow tonight, but our Easter-Egger hens have us dreaming of spring with their colorful eggs!

12/26/2023

As 2023 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone for their support during this past year. From activating our geothermal system to extending the paddocks, refencing and improving the lighting in our riding spaces, and breaking ground on our chicken coop renovation/restoration, it was a very busy year, and we are excited for more big things to come in 2024.

If you have some down time between holiday fun, please consider leaving a review on Google, Facebook, or Yelp, particularly if you have enjoyed any of our products or services directly. Of course, if you had any experience that would prevent leaving a good review, please reach out to us and let us try to make it right.

Once more: THANK YOU to everyone for your ongoing support, please reach out with any questions, and please feel free to share this message widely!

12/23/2023

Happy Holidays!!

11/14/2023

PUMPKINS! No, we are not selling them, but rather recycling them! If you have pumpkins leftover from Halloween or other fall festivities, we can pulverize them and give them as supplementary treats to our flock of chickens. They are loaded with great nutrients and this is a far more environmentally friendly way to dispose of them without attracting backyard pests.

11/12/2023

For the past few years, we have partnered with Nancy Mulford, local beekeeper and owner of Three Dog Apiary, in a pilot program hosting honey bee hives on our property. After lots of hard work (on her and the bees part!), this year we finally have a harvest strong enough to share! Three Dog Honey is small-batch, raw, unfiltered honey. Raw means that the honey is bottled without being heated. Bottling the honey raw maintains its antimicrobial qualities. Unfiltered refers to the method of straining honey after it has been extracted from the hive. Nancy uses a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the wax, but the strainer allows small bits of pollen to remain in the honey. Every pound of honey harvested requires forager honey bees to visit two million blossoms, right here in our neighborhood! They are available for $12 per 8oz jar and 100% of the proceeds go toward maintenance of the hives. Unlike our composted manure and hay, these make perfect stocking stuffers, but we have a very limited quantity available, so please contact us soon.

11/03/2023

Had a great time hosting a local girl scout troop this past weekend! The scouts were extremely bright and learned a lot about the farm, chickens, horses, and beekeeping. Thanks so much to the troop leaders, our boarders, and beekeeper for helping make the event a success!