This document summarizes the goals and design plans for the New England Veterans Agriculture Resource at Tattersall Farm. The goal is to provide resources to support veterans' mental, physical, career, and financial well-being through hands-on farming education. The design incorporates rotating crops, grazing areas, and composting to make efficient use of space and minimize waste. Varied crops and livestock will be placed according to their needs and the land's capabilities. The large property allows for both mass production and individual student projects. The design process identified challenges but resulted in plans for an environmentally responsible, educationally robust, and socially impactful farm.

1. New England Veterans Agriculture Resource at Tattersall Farm
542 N. Broadway, Haverhill MA 01835
Derrick Heins

2. Goals Summary
Our goal is to provide resources for sustainment of the mental,
physical, career, and financial wellbeing of veterans and their families.
We will achieve this lofty goal by providing an academic and hands on
learning environment focus on the financial, environmental, and social
responsibility of farming. Our success will be measured by the future
success of our students and their contribution to the agricultural field
and self sufficiency.

3. Site Analysis Summation
How we benefitted from the material:
• Impact of environmental influences
• Wind
• Use sturdy plantings to protect weaker
• Drainage
• Place crops according to moisture needs
• Use stabilizing planting in erosion areas
• Pollution
• Create natural sound barriers
• Weather
• Select crops that thrive in temparant zone
• Impact of humanity on land
• Reduce waste
• Aggressive compost/recycle program
• Maximize production
• High yield crops and healthy livestock
• Reclamation of livestock and plant residue
• Plant to soil capability
• Ensure nutrient health of soil
• Human Impact
• Mitigate human impact on wildlife migration

4. Most feasible crop and livestock
design
Placement Reasoning
Cattle: dedicated field using isolation design concept to
reduce odor and human disturbance
Goats/Sheep: Larger field to sustain mixed use livestock
incorporating ducks and geese in the warmer months.
Artificial pools are long term goal
Pigs: Mix of wood and pasture habitat to accommodate 6
pigs. Location reduces odor, located close to composting
and woodland forage. Shade in summer and protection
from southern winds and weather in winter.
Green houses: Highest foot traffic area, close to parking lot
and water supply, ease of access in winter, high sun
exposure year round
Crops: Lowest point for most consistent irrigation (Drainage
is slow moving from north to south)
Berry Fields: Lowest moisture content on farm, luxury crop,
least priority to prime land. Lacks in moisture compensated
by rich soil and proximity to water supply.
Vining Plants: Barley are 20 feet tall supports that provide
noise pollution and privacy screen. Apple and pear next
tallest to receive light with blockage from grape vines and
tomato lowest plant. All vining plants will receive maximum
exposure to the sun year round with no shade impact.
Underlying medium sun plant under vines with nitrate and
calcium enrichment

5. Final Design Concept

6. 3 CHOICE DESIGN PRINCIPLES
• Integrate, not segregate: incorporate rotating crop, graze, and hay
utilization on land to ensure a mix of proper composting, cross
fertilization, and mutual benefit
• Make no waste: We will implement all animal waste into composting
to fertilize all areas of growth. Utilize vermicomposting to increase
nitrates and nutrients. We will establish a program with local food
producers to utilize their waste in composting.
• Self Regulate and accept feedback: we will use professional analysis
from institutional and practical experts to modify process's after
every harvest to ensure best use and highest yields

7. Lessons Learned
Variety
With the large expanse of land that we have to work with
(approximately 54 open workable acres) we will not be forced to jam a
lot into a small space. We will dedicate some of those open areas for
student focused farming allowing each student to tend their own
individual project while contributing to the mass production. Given the
course timeline this will allow students to plan, design, and oversee a
project from start to finish in a season.

8. Lessons Learned
Greater learning potential
The large amount of space and our yield calculations showed us that
not only can we plant a hearty selection for food insecure but also
develop some unique produce, herbs, livestock, and aquaculture
programs. We can use this to increase the teaching value to students
and the community.

9. Lessons Learned
Troubleshooting through the design process
As our design started to take shape, we came to realize that we will
face some challenges with our infrastructure. This due in part to Trust
restrictions, wetlands, and neighborhood concerns. We started by
plotting all our desires partnered with capabilities and determine the
most economically, agriculturally, and socially feasible design.

10. Conclusion
What began as “start throwing stuff on the farm and see what sticks”
has turned into the beginnings of a project that will be:
Environmentally Responsible
Educationally Robust
Socially Impactful
A lot of fun while learning some pretty cool stuff and helping people.