33mi from Monadnock State Park · 3 sites · Tents, RVsWelcome to our quiet 262-acre farmstead! We offer an immersive rural Green Mountain experience, yet only 25 minutes from the lively, artsy towns of Brattleboro and Wilmington.
Enjoy a private campsite nestled next to a tranquil pond. Soar over our gardens on epic tree swings. Hidden trails bring you through dense forests, past ancient hemlock trees to secluded swimming holes. Ancient stone structures and newer stacked boulders and flower gardens add to the natural beauty all around you.
We have one friendly off-leash dog, Oliver, an Lavender, that roam freely and may want to make friends with you. (And if you ignore them, they will leave you alone). We have laying hens, goats, and piglets that you are welcome to visit! We love animals -- as you can tell -- but are unable to host campers with dogs.
While cozing up to a campfire, you might hear the calls of birds of the deep forest like the hermit thrush and the barred owl, or the call of coyotes on the far ridge. We are surrounded by hundreds of acres of unbroken forest that offer habitat to moose, bear, and deer, and numerous other wildlife. (Don't worry -- these animals are very shy and likely to run in the other direction if they see you.)
Pitch your tent on Thistledew campsite and enjoy a cedar tent platform, fire ring, rustic picnic table, and direct access to the beautiful forest and miles of walking trails. The campsite is a gentle 25-foot walk from the parking spot.
Quill Nook Farm is 25 minutes from artsy, outdoorsy Brattleboro, VT and I-91, and 25 minutes from the quaint village of Wilmington, with restaurants, breweries, and shopping. Mount Snow is 40 minutes away via Routes 9 and 100, and we’re only 45 minutes from the Mass MoCA art museum in North Adams, Mass.
The Harriman Reservoir is located 20 minutes away and provides a variety of spaces for boats, kayakers, swimmers, picnic areas with grills and more!
Do you want an “off the beaten path” hike or swimming hole with rocks for sunbathing? We can direct you to several secluded spots on our property or within 15 minutes. The Green River covered bridge and log dam is 10 minutes down the road, and you can sample from several farmsteads and art galleries in the area.
Interested in homesteading or farming? Would you like a historic walking tour of ancient stone structures on the land? We love to share our expertise — ask about our tours and experiences.
Here's some more background about the farm itself:
Our farm's site sits near an ancient Abenaki foot trail and crossroads of sorts. Stone cairns and old stone springs speak to centuries if not millennia of human habitation. The land was developed into a farm during Halifax's hey-day in the 1800s. Like many "hill farms" in the region, that farm disappeared into the forest after farmers moved to the Midwest after the Civil War. Thus the land was fully forested when Tristan purchased it in August 2005 — raw acreage, no buildings, no fields. He has been building it into the farm you see around you ever since.
Alison joined in 2020, and we had two kids along the way. The land is permanently conserved with the Vermont Land Trust, meaning it cannot be developed. The forest is sustainably managed for wildlife habitat to Forest Stewardship Council standards. The farmland follows organic practices. We both have off-farm jobs (in the sustainability field), leaving the farm as our passion project.
What we grow: Our gardens are home to Mandrake (the real-life plant that’s repotted in Harry Potter), dang-shen, Caucasian mountain spinach, sea buckthorn, haskap, teosinte — the wild ancestor of modern corn — and dozens of other edibles and medicinals that have been in relationship with humans for centuries or millennia and have largely vanished from modern gardens. We grow for ourselves and we donate our extra eggs and produce to the Foodworks pantry in Brattleboro.