New owners plan to retain the unspoiled state of the land

Text by Dave Beers
Photo by Savage Frieze

Back in 2009, the great recession hit and the contentious prospect of a golf course development was dealt its final blow after six years of debate and permitting hurdles. The 780-acre property was put on the market, and pieces of it have been gradually sold off since. The final main property was recently sold to a longtime Norfolk family who are thrilled to keep the property in its current bucolic state. The husband sees the purchase as a bargain in a town that has yet to be fully discovered and appreciated.

The former Mead family holding spans a high ridge line with incredible views to the north and west. The property includes a main residence, a guest house, a caretaker’s home, two ponds, multiple barns, a cabin and extensive fields and forests. It now consists of 518 acres – 348 acres in Norfolk and 170 acres in North Canaan.

The new owners look forward to supporting the continued tapping of maple trees on the property by the Mead family for Mead Maple Syrup, which the new owners consider to be the best maple syrup in New England. They encourage everyone to stop by Berkshire Country Store and buy some.

There is no intention by the new owners to develop or create a golf course when, according to the husband, “Norfolk has one of the best nine-hole golf courses in the country.” While there are no firm plans just yet to bring animals back to the farm, purchasing a few hobby cows to honor the long tradition of Yale Farm Herefords is a short-term goal of the family. The daughter has already picked out names for the first two, MooMoo and Maybelle.