Everyday I come down to the Sugarsnap farm I am always surprised at the beauty of the place. The juxtaposition of the cars and industry along riverside avenue compared to the natural beauty along the Winooski river and old farm building makes it feel all the more magical as I roll down Intervale road.
Part of the beauty of the Intervale is how the different farm fields are broken up by trees and waterways. Right next to Sugarsnap’s fields there is a pond and we are hedged in by trees. This can make for some difficult decisions about what will grow well in partial shade and it adds to some of the pest problems (read deer). But I believe it also helps with some of the pest management.
This riparian zone fills our fields with frogs and snakes. For the faint of heart this may seem off putting. It is also off putting for all insects and small rodents that may want to eat our crops. It is part of our integrated pest management plan, even if it was not all that planned. Whenever I see a frog hopping around in our fields I feel as if it is a friend doing me, really us, a nice favor as it fills its belly.
