Small farm on Historic Homestead

Introduction

Hello! We are Gavin and Rachel. We live in a home built before the American Revolution in a small town in Connecticut with our children and lovely animals. We have extended family both in Northern England and Washington State. Seeing our family more often is very important to us and trips abroad to England or to the West Coast are becoming more frequent. Gavin calls me an "urban homesteader" because we live in the center of town on a main road yet I am building a little homestead on our 2 acres. We have an herb garden, strawberries, raspberries as well as cucumbers and pumpkins. The fruit trees are a work in progress. Our animals are an important part of our life here. Let me introduce them to you: -Meowy-nine year old, indoor, tuxedo cat -Sadie-6 year old Great Pyranese/ Treeing Walker Coon Hound mix -Patches- a sweet little calico barn cat (2 year old) -Two Pygora Goats- Mr. Much and Mr. Tumnus -9 chickens There are many great places to see around here. Restaurants, grocery store and shopping are close by. We have a park with walking trails within walking distance from the house and other nature spaces available a short drive away. There is a quaint Historic museum near by as well as a famous Flea Market on Sunday mornings from Spring - Fall. Or you may opt to relax in our back yard with a fire in the fire pit near our pond and take in the quintessential New England surroundings.

Home & location

Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains is the little (but growing) town of Brookfield, Connecticut. There, in the center of the Historic District, is a homestead established in the year 1770 (completed by 1789). A Georgian Colonial home built by Daniel Jackson for the Chamberlain Family, the house was known as the Chamberlain Inn. Then again it opened as the Post Road Inn from 1917-1928 and entertained guests including John D. Rockefeller and others. Now it is home to our family and you can still feel the deep history in its floors, finishes and surroundings. This great historical property is a wonderful 2+ acre homestead. The history of the home is preserved while it has welcomed the advances of modern living, making it a comfortable blend of past and present. You can work from our home because we have excellent internet speeds. There is a large washer and dryer downstairs and the driveway is equipped with electric vehicle charging option. Choose to stay in the main floor bedroom(master bedroom) with small adjoining bathroom and shower or stay in the Colonial Canopy Bed in the upstairs bedroom (young child's room where Sadie, the dog, also sleeps) next to a large bathroom with large bathtub and shower. The Kitchen with large pantry is equipped with -double oven - electric range -dishwasher - large refrigerator -microwave -Water Cooler Sit at the bar to enjoy a meal or use the dining room where the Inn's restaurant once served it's guests and soak in the history. Or you may choose to enjoy a meal outside on the patio. In the Living Room, enjoy our full Cable package including tv select, entertainment, sports view, and all the premium channels or sit and relax in our Library/Music room with many books, piano, and various instruments. There are two wood burning stoves that can be used seasonally. Our location is convenient to restaurants, grocery store and shopping centers. There are walking trails within walking distance from the house and other nature spaces available a short drive away. There is the quaint Historic museum near by as well as a famous Flea Market on Sunday mornings from Spring - Fall. Then again, you may simply choose to relax in our back yard with a fire in the fire pit near our pond or enjoy our rocking chairs on the covered porch and take in the quintessential New England surroundings.

Responsibilities

In the morning: Let Sadie outside (we have an invisible dog fence) Feed Meowy (the indoor cat) wet cat food (in dish on the counter so dog doesn't get it) Go outside to the out door animals: 1-Feed Patches the barn cat, check her water 2-Check Chicken feeder - fill if needed 3-Scatter chicken feed in the run 4-Feed Goats hay 5-Scoop off Goat beds 6-Lay fresh straw if needed 7-Fill water bucket if needed 8-Stir fresh minerals in the tray (fill if needed) 9-Scoop Chicken poop (we use sand in our coop so you do this job like you would scoop cat litter) 10-After chores are done, turn on the electric fences 11-Scoop Dog Poop 12-Collect Eggs Go back into the house and feed Sadie one scoop of dog food Evening - at 5 Feed Meowy 1 scoop dry cat food upstairs by his water (Add water to the base of the water fountain towards the end of the week or if you can hear the water pump louder than usual) Feed Sadie 1 scoop dog food At dusk 1-Feed Patches one scoop of food 2-The chickens should naturally return to the coop to roost for the night. 3-Check the goats water and freshen it if needed. Tether goats to their feeding station, feed one scoop of grain to each. When they are finished, untether the goats, remove the leashes and shut them in for the night 4-Gather Eggs You are done! Our dog Sadie usually goes up to bed with our daughter at 9pm and comes down with her in the morning around 7-8am. It’s easiest if you do the same and stay in the upstairs room with her. Another option is to stay in the first level bedroom and let Sadie sleep on her bed in the living room. Whatever works best for you. Having Sadie in the room upstairs helps separate the cat and dog at night. We have had success in both arrangements.