Contemporary philippine arts from the regions_PPT_Module_12 [Autosaved] (1).pptx
Base map for on the road again farm
1. Base Map for On The Road Again
Farm
Nancy Buddington
2. • The base mapping assignment was both fun and
challenging. Knowing that my homestead design would
include at least 30 acres of a 63 acre site, I chose Google
Earth to map the property.
• I did physically measure areas nearest to the barn and
animal yards. I also walked most of the area in search of
breaks in the fence. Goats are very good at finding these
breaks and they won’t tell us where they are. When a
goat appears where they should not be, it is time to take
a walk!
3. • To begin the mapping process, I uploaded Google
Earth and the address of the site. I spent a good deal
of time trying to get to a scale where I could at least
see the western most 30 acres or so of the property.
4. • Being aware that 1 inch to 10 feet was way too big a
scale for my situation, I used google maps to get to 1
Inch = 20 feet.
• To visualize the shape of the entire property, I also
uploaded a map of the site from Wilbraham GIS. My
next step was to piece together aerial photos of the
property at the 1 inch = 20 feet scale.
5. • The aerial photos were pieced together as well as I
could. One problem I had with Google Earth was that
the map’s vertical orientation changed ever so
slightly as I tried to “catch” the sections of the
property. This elongated fields and buildings and
distances making everything seem further apart than
they really are.
6. • Tracing the property off the Google Earth photos was
a bit easier as I used the smaller scale view of the
property as well as the assessors map as guides.
11. • As part of the base mapping project, I did walk parts
of the property that I had questions about. Features
such as fence lines, cart paths and marsh and swamp
areas were not always easy to see on the aerial
photos. If I had not walked the site, I may not have
known about certain features. This is a wetland.
12. • Many of the practices mentioned in Bane’s
Permaculture Handbook have been used at the farm
site in the past and some are still used. Flowerbeds,
bird feeders, vertical planters, rain water collection,
seed saving, and composting are in evidence. Trees
are planted and areas are mowed to create edge and
diversity. Blackberry patches line fence rows.
13. • This homestead has a long and interesting history.
Researching human features and practices on this farm
has given meaning to the placement of structures and
vegetation. It was a dairy farm in the 18th and 19th
century. The back side of the farmhouse was the milk
house. In the past, a natural spring supplied the farm’s
water. Due to contamination from the Memorial School,
the farm is now hooked up to town water and sewer.
• Fire destroyed the original barn and a new generation of
homesteaders worked together to create an inspiring
example of permaculture. The barn addition was built
from a plan written on a napkin. The cycle of life and
death has taken its toll on this farm, but I am truly
inspired to continue the traditions that have passed
through the generations here.
