Posted by Bob Baldwin on April 6th, 2008

Sometimes I wonder if I have the best job out there.

I’m mighty fortunate that my work has introduced me to Charlottesville and brings me back to Bundoran Farm often enough to notice the minutest seasonal changes to the landscape. These regular visits to Virginia Piedmont do wonders for a native Bostonian, particularly around this time of year when our raw and wet “spring” weather makes a Virginia winter look pretty good. A Virginia spring – now that’s a spring. Yes, a few days a month on the porch of Sprouse Cottage can make you forget that it’s a living.
But it gets better.

We think we might be on to something here at Bundoran Farm. Perhaps we have a development and farm preservation model that can be very carefully replicated at other, equally extraordinary, farm properties. If so, someone needs to go out and scout out the new territory. Never shying away from a tough job, I have taken on the task.

Over the past few months alone, I have had the honor of being invited onto some of the most beautiful landscapes imaginable; from waterfront gems on the Chesapeake, to vast farmscapes on the outskirts of Philadelphia, to hidden pastures in the Connecticut hills. Every parcel is unique. Every owner is a land steward. Becoming complacent is not a concern.

The only worry I have is that Bundoran Farm sets an unfair standard. The land, the setting, the city and the community add up to a pretty tough act to follow. While I haven’t discovered its match yet, I’ll just have to keep on plugging away. Oh well, back to the grind…

Bob Baldwin

Filed under: Agriculture, General