Windrush Farm in Boxford & North Andover

The Tri-Town Transcript reported recently that Windrush Farm, a 195-acre mix of fields, forest, and a rare Atlantic White Cedar Bog located in North Andover and Boxford, will be protected land “forever.”

A partnership consisting of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) – a national non-profit conservation organization, the Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation, Inc. (WFTE), the Towns of North Andover and Boxford, and Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) purchased the land for $3.5 million with a combination of Town and State funding, private foundations, and 468 individual donors.

The Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation was founded in 1964 and provides equine-assisted therapies to more than 300 children and adults with disabilities, including veterans of war.  The Tri-Town Transcipt reports that WFTE is the pioneer of more than 780 programs of its kind supported by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association; WFTE plans to expand the number and variety of programs to include the general public, such as community gardens and summer camps.

Windrush Farm contains State-recognized critical wildlife habitat supporting rare and endangered species. Its protection creates a nearly 1800-acre contiguous block of conservation land and connects to an extensive trail network including the Bay Circuit Trail and trails in Boxford State Forest. Conserving Windrush Farm also protects the Ipswich River watershed-providing drinking water to more than 330,000 residents in 15 Massachusetts communities.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript.