By STEVEN JUPITER
PITTSFORD—It’s a beautiful spot right in the heart of Pittsford. The library, the post office, Kamuda’s…all within steps. And behind the large Italianate main house lie acres of land that open to a sweeping vista over neighboring Florence and the uppermost reaches of the Taconic Mountains. It’s no wonder that Baird and Betsy Morgan of Pittsford wanted to preserve it. In 2018, they purchased the house and land—the old Forrest farm—and set about converting the property to a community resource of some kind.
A few years later, the outlines of the project are becoming clearer as its focus becomes sharper. The Pittsford Village Farm (PVF) is the result of several years of consultation and collaboration between the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages the property and the community it pledges to serve. PVF now has artists’ studios, a community garden, walking paths, concerts, and talks. Funding has been secured to build a community meeting space, a café, and two affordable apartments in the house itself.
“Pittsford is aspiring to be as much of a community as it can possibly be,” said Lorrie Byrom, Chair of PVF’s Board of Directors. Halfway between Rutland and Brandon, Pittsford is a smaller community that currently lacks many of the amenities of its larger neighbors. The fledgling nonprofit worked with the Vermont Council on Rural Development to hold open meetings where Pittsford residents could voice their opinions as to what the town needed and what should be done with the historic property.
“A few things became clear right away,” said Byrom. “People wanted a community center. They wanted to preserve the agricultural heritage of the farm. And they wanted some kind of retail center.”
This all took place before the pandemic, and the initial estimated costs of the project—the house needs a complete, historically-sensitive overhaul—have since doubled and are currently over $2 million. At that level, federal assistance becomes necessary.
And so PVF worked with a grant writer to secure funding through Senator Sanders’s office and through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), a federal-state partnership that aims to spark economic and community development in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and upstate New York. So far, PVF has received $400K from the National Park Service (through Sanders’s office) and $382K from NBRC.
“We learned that in order to be attractive for federal money,” said Byrom, “you have to understand the federal government’s needs.”
What the federal agencies wanted for the Pittsford area was childcare and affordable housing, hence PVF’s commitment to provide both. “None of which we mind doing,” added Byrom, noting that both are needed and fit in with PVF’s mission to be a community resource.
Other amenities PVF plans to offer are a 50-seat community hall and a 16-seat café that will be run by a local resident with experience managing commercial kitchens.
THE SWEEPING VIEW behind the main house. A great place to sit and enjoy the vista. The prop- erty slopes down to connect with Pittsford’s system of walking trails.
“I was here sledding with my kids this winter,” said Samantha Stone, PVF’s Communications Director, “and it would’ve been really nice to have some hot chocolate and sit someplace warm inside. Since J.R.’s closed, there really isn’t a place where people can just gather and sit.”
PVF is also forming a community garden, which may initially seem strange in an area where people generally have their own yards but makes sense when Byrom and Stone explain that the purpose is to foster interactions among community members who partake. In fact, at 6 p.m. on April 27th, PVF will be hosting its first “Garden Gathering” of the 2023 season, a talk on dividing and transplanting perennials with Judy Hall. Other garden talks are scheduled through September.
Also on the calendar for the summer are free “Tunesday” Tuesday outdoor concerts. The first will be Laura Cwass at 6 p.m. on June 20. Other concerts are scheduled through August.
See PVF’s website (pittsfordvillagefarm.org) for a complete list of events.
“Many of our events are collaborative,” said Byrom, noting an afterschool birding program that will be offered in conjunction with the Audubon Society, VINS Nature Center, and the Maclure Library. “Pittsford Rec is very involved as well.”
Stained-glass artist Hallie Monroe maintains her Twin Elms studio at PVF as well.
The Town of Pittsford has traditionally been very careful with its budget and early fears that PVF might strain town resources were allayed by the farm’s ability to secure outside funding.
“We were controversial at the beginning,” said Byrom, “but someone on the Selectboard came to an event and support grew from there. [Selectboard member] Joe Gagnon has provided lumber at a discounted rate. We’re hoping to get some ARPA funding as well.”
Byrom also noted that PVF has made an effort to reach out to different parts of the Pittsford community: “Part of our visibility has been building a board of directors with people of different backgrounds here in town.” The Board currently has 7 voting members, with the Morgans as non-voting honorary members.
When we wrapped up our conversation, Stone took me on a short tour of the property. The views from the field behind the house and barn were lovely: the land sloped town to a valley between Route 7 and West Creek Road, flooded with snowmelt at this time of year.
“We’re tied into the system of trails throughout Pittsford,” said Stone. “We’d love more people to come take advantage of our outdoor space.”
There were also benches where you can simply sit and take in the view.
Building a viable, vibrant nonprofit from scratch is a tough task, but Byrom, Stone, and the rest of the PVF team have approached it with purpose, seriousness, and a commitment to the town of Pittsford. Even at this stage, with many of the construction projects on hold pending funding, PVF is already a huge asset to the Pittsford community.
