About Lachat Town Farm
The Lachat Farm at the Juliana Lachat Preserve
In 1997, the late Leon Lachat deeded his 42-acre working farm on Godfrey Road West, and abutting Devil's Den, to the town of Weston and the Nature Conservancy. Lachat dedicated the property for public and educational use that emphasizes Weston's agricultural roots. Through a dual lease agreement in 2011, the conservancy oversees the wooded area next to its Devil's Den Preserve (about 22.5 acres) and the town is responsible for the front meadow portion of the property (about 19 acres), including the buildings.
Mission
The mission of Lachat Town Farm is to offer farming, environmental education, and cultural experiences for all ages, community-building opportunities, and to create an important connection with and enjoyment of our land that fosters a happier, healthier and more "grounded" community. We consciously organize programs and events that appeal to and celebrate the diverse groups in our community in terms of age, sex, race, religion, and income level.
History
In 1997, the late Leon Lachat sold his 42-acre working farm on Godfrey Road West, and abutting Devil's Den, to the town of Weston and the Nature Conservancy. Lachat dedicated the property for public and educational use that emphasizes Weston's agricultural roots as well as for "spiritual refreshment". Through a dual lease agreement in 2011, the conservancy oversees the wooded area next to its Devil's Den Preserve (about 22.5 acres) and the town is responsible for the front meadow portion of the property (about 19 acres), including the buildings.
The property includes a pre-Revolutionary homestead, that was restored with significant contributions from Weston residents and funds from the CT Trust for Historic Preservation and The 1772 Foundation. The Lachat farmhouse is listed on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places. The homestead provides housing for a tenant upstairs and a gathering space for education downstairs. A historically significant milking barn and carriage shed offer great potential space for farming including the CSA pickup, and as a community gathering space. The classic New England farmland setting includes roughly three-acres of good-quality, sandy loam soil for our 50 rental beds that make up our Community Garden and for our Giving Garden that produces fresh produce that is donated to individuals and families facing food insecurities.
The property is considered highly desirable because it has a lot of unspoiled beauty, meadows and open space. It looks like old Weston.
Friends of Lachat
Friends of Lachat was established in 2012 to stop the impending demolition by our Town of the circa 1770 David Godfrey homestead on the Juliana Lachat Preserve in Weston, CT. This IRS-designated 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN number 80-0768651) was formed in order to initiate emergency fund-raising. Friends of Lachat also needed to create a rationale for saving the house. A vision for the homestead and property was created, with a Mission Statement, multi-phase Master Plan, and Town-appointed Commission for oversight. The homestead would be the heart (and soul) of a Town Farm!
The Farm
In 1997, the late Leon Lachat sold his 42-acre working farm on Godfrey Road West, and abutting Devil's Den, to the town of Weston and the Nature Conservancy. Lachat dedicated the property for public and educational use that emphasizes Weston's agricultural roots as well as for "spiritual refreshment". Through a dual lease agreement in 2011, the conservancy oversees the wooded area next to its Devil's Den Preserve (about 22.5 acres) and the town is responsible for the front meadow portion of the property (about 19 acres), including the buildings.
Daniel E. Offutt III Education Center
Daniel E. Offutt III Education Center
The opening of the Daniel E. Offutt III Education Center at the Juliana Lachat Preserve is a milestone event for Weston, with the Offutt Trust initially committing $2 million for the project and then matching an additional $1 million in private donations for a total of $4 million from the Trust and the public combined. The Center comprises approximately 4700 square feet and features a large gathering space with a beautiful stone fireplace, an art studio and classroom, a demonstration kitchen, public bathrooms, an audio visual system, pantry, and storage. The Offutt Center allows Lachat Town Farm to offer programming not just in the summer months. The architectural and construction features include a computer-cut, post-and-beam Douglas Fir frame, structural insulated panels (SIPs) for insulation, a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system, and extra insulated window. Sustainable features like these were incorporated as much as possible.
Friends of Lachat worked closely on the project with the Town administration, the Town-appointed Lachat Town Farm Commission, and several volunteer committees. The Center includes a teaching kitchen named in honor of former Weston Selectman Brian Gordon, paid for in part with funds raised in his memory.
Rob Sanders Architects designed the entire project and has been involved from the time funding arrived in March of 2020 until the Opening.
Verdi Construction, selected from a highly qualified group of builders, conducted or subcontracted nearly all of the work onsite, hewing close to a tight schedule.
Daniel E. Offutt III
by Richard Orenstein, Trustee, Daniel E. Offutt, lll Charitable Trust
A self-described farmer, my friend Dan Offutt was so much more to the many who knew him. He's remembered as a tennis player, traveler, sailor, metal sculptor, wood worker, fixer of anything, collector of everything, lover of projects, stock market investor and, most of all, a good friend. He was particularly proud of his rowing experience at Henley-on-Thames, England.
Dan lived his last 3O-plus years in Weston, Connecticut in a house he built. Some of his sculptures graced the property which also proudly featured a tobacco barn filled with Dan's eclectic collections. Dan and friends disassembled the barn in upstate Connecticut and transported it to Weston, for a good old fashioned "barn raising!"
Dan Offutt was a creative child who grew up in the small town of Oakland, Maryland where his prominent family was in retail, real estate and banking. He attended schools in Princeton, New Jersey, before serving in the U.S. Army. There, he received the Selective Service Medal, which recognizes exceptionally meritorious service or significant achievement. After his military service, he attended the University of Maryland and received his MBA from Columbia University in 1965.
As a stock broker, primarily with E.F. Hutton, he enjoyed considerable success, retiring in the early 1980s to Weston, Connecticut. He later said, "l came out here thinking I was going to retire. I've always had a darkroom and workshop and I got into welding. One thing led to another. I collected a lot of metal, and started to put it together."
Despite being retired, Dan continued to "dabble in stocks" amassing a substantial portfolio. As an investor, he was the epitome of a momentum player-usually found in front of his three computers watching and evaluating stocks.
He also spent time visiting friends across the world and taking care of his beloved pets. Dan was a dedicated artist who made whimsical sculptures out of scrap iron and other materials. He stored various water and oil tanks and raw supplies behind his workshop arranged into a near perfect semicircle, which came to be known as "Tankhenge."
A retrospective exhibit about Dan at the Weston Historical Society said he fit into "a unique category." He truly did. He was known for saying, "l've never met a successful pessimist."
Daniel E. Offutt lll died on November 24, 2016, at age 85, leaving a legacy of visionary philanthropy with significant impact across education, the arts, faith-based organizations and more. He'll be remembered as someone who, despite his many accomplishments, preferred the simple life, eschewed special attention, and was self-effacing to the end.
Brian's Kitchen
by Claire Gordon, Brian Gordon's mother
Donations for a teaching kitchen at Lachat were given in memory of Weston Selectman, Brian Gordon, who passed away on November 18, 2018.
Brian Gordon was born in Cincinnati and spent his early childhood in a small midwestern suburb very much like Weston. When he, his wife, Kristy, and their daughters, Molly and Drew, moved to Weston, he felt as though he were home again…..and he loved it!
As a Weston Selectman, Brian vigorously supported Lachat Town Farmand often enjoyed the Farm with his family at Music in the Meadow and other special events.
Cooking was one of Brian's passions and he delighted his family and friends with his culinary treats. He rarely used a recipe and felt that cooking was an expression of love and caring, and should be joyful and creative.
"Brian's Kitchen" will continue this special legacy of good food, good times, and good fun. Bon Appetit!
Gardens
Commuunity Garden
The Lachat Town Farm Community Garden broke ground in May of 2014. Countless volunteers from the community came forward to help, including; Wells Hill Farm, Weston Kiwanis, Builders Beyond Borders, Green Village Initiatives, Weston High School Senior Interns, and Lachat Oversight Committee members. They built wooden boxes for the raised-beds, painstakingly aligned the beds in position, cleared rocks, pulled weeds, put up cedar posts with perimeter deer fencing, and filled the new beds with organic garden soil. After a general cleanup, the beautiful community garden was created, a month after the work started.
Originally, the garden had 42 raised beds of various sizes to rent. With increasing requests for beds, that number has increased to 50 with an additional 4 beds that grow produce for the farm.
Gardeners, and non-gardeners alike, enjoy the beautiful Pollinator Pathway flower beds surrounding the garden, and you will often see folks enjoying a sunny day in the central piazza. With full sun, which is hard to come by in Weston, tomatoes are a favorite crop of the community gardeners.
If you are a Weston resident interested in renting a bed, please contact the Garden Managers.
Community Gardeners please click here to visit our Garden Member page.
Giving Garden
The Lachat Giving Garden in Weston, CT is a place where volunteers come together to grow organic fruit and vegetables for neighbors facing food insecurity. The idea to grow produce for the Weston Food Pantry was hatched by a Lachat Town Farm volunteer. At the start of the 2020 pandemic, more volunteers came together and secured grants to build the Giving Garden. Thanks to Sustainable CT, Whole Foods, the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, the Weston Progress Fund, and many donations from Weston residents, volunteers were able to build a garden with over 1700 sq feet of active growing space. On June 25th, the first bean cotyledon popped out of the soil, giving the over 40 volunteers hope in uncertain times.
In the first year, the Giving Garden donated thousands of pounds of produce and eggs, feeding local families nutrient dense food for over 18 weeks. The garden is entirely run by volunteers, some even donating farm fresh eggs to supplement the vegetables and fruit. Thanks to donations and Yeti for supplying coolers, eggs are now stocked each week in the pantry along with vegetables.
In an effort to support local farms and supply more produce, funds were raised to shop farm stands weekly. Local farms in Weston are also very generous, often adding donations of their own.
We are always looking for more people to volunteer in the Giving Garden to help grow to give. Please join us.
Our Animals
Our Goats
The Lachat Town Farm goats are Nigerian Dwarf goats. Nigerians dwarf goats are of West African origin and are raised as dairy goats and companion animals. Our three goats are wethers, or castrated males. Bob, Clover, and Vindaloo were born in the spring of 2020 at Guardians Farm in Southbury. If you are interested in volunteering to care for the goats and becoming a Goat Ambassador, please contact us at volunteer@lachattownfarm.org
Our Bunnies
Stop by our newly built Bunny Manor House here at Lachat Town Farm to visit our six resident bunnies. They can be found living in the back part of our historic barn, in what used to be the old milking room. If the day is pretty, they can also be found happily hopping about in their outdoor run, nibbling away at the white clover. If you would like to volunteer time with the bunnies, please contact us at volunteer@lachattownfarm.org
The Beeyard
The Lachat Town Farm Beeyard began in 2017 with 2 hives. In 2021 it expanded to 4 hives and is offering educational opportunities with the bees and about the bees. Honeybees are originally from Europe but are now kept worldwide for all the benefits they offer. Not only do they offer a window into a fascinating society, but they also provide us with honey, propolis, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom, and pollination services.
The Beeyard is supported by donations and grants. If you would like to help support the beeyard, consider making a donation or purchasing a set of notecards. All notecard photos were taken at the farm and proceeds will go towards equipment for the bees and educational opportunities. Click here to purchase limited edition notecards.
News
This will be the News.
Commission Members
Commission Members
- Katherine McConnaughey, Chair
- Carol Baldwin
- Nick Bell
- Stirling Collins
- Nicole Copans
- Ellen McCormick
- Erica Reiner
Advisory Committee
- Harry Falber
- Barbara Gross
- Jennifer Siegel
- Aidan Baker, Youth Representative