The Story Behind the Richard St. Onge Community Garden and Memorial Park at Sunny Meadow A personal introduction Over the years I have noticed that many people refer to the raised garden area at Sunny Meadow simply as “Garden C.” That label appears on garden maps and paperwork, but it hides something important. That area […]

Peonies, Sweat, and a Truckload of Plants The Story of the Sunny Meadow Peony Garden Every garden has a story. Some begin with a careful plan and a stack of seed catalogs. The peony garden at Sunny Meadow started with something very different. It began with a phone call, a yard full of plants, and […]

Grow-a-Row in Chelmsford A Simple Idea That Helps Feed Our Community Every once in a while I get a call from someone in town just to catch up or ask a question about something. Today was no different. John Bowles gave me a call asking about how to get rid of some old electronics and […]

COSS TLDR March 2026 Chelmsford Open Space, Farms, Parks, Trails, and Land Use Radar A quick scan of Chelmsford board agendas, minutes, and related public materials from roughly the last 60 days to highlight items related to conservation land, farms, parks, trails, recreation, and accessibility. This summary is meant to help residents find issues worth […]

Sunny Meadow Farm StoryWalk, one of those small projects that quietly became a community favorite If you have ever taken a walk near the community gardens at Sunny Meadow and noticed pages from a children’s book posted along the trail, you have found the StoryWalk. It is one of those simple ideas that just works. […]

Spring is always a time for looking forward to new life and energy. It is also a time to look back at what was, what is, and what can be. I recently came across some old photos of Sunny Meadow from more than fifteen years ago, and my mind started racing. Those pictures reminded me […]

During the massive clean-up of old metal at Koulas Farm a few years back, we managed to save something pretty special before it ended up in the dumpster. These are two old steel wheels, most likely wagon or early truck wheels, probably dating back to the early 1900s. They were light enough that I was […]

For well over a century, one of the quiet landmarks of Chelmsford Center was a massive purple leaf beech tree that stood on the Town Common. Generations of residents walked past it, met beneath its canopy, or used it as a familiar point of reference in the center of town. The tree was estimated to […]

Tucked back in the woods along the old alignment of Misty Meadow Road is a small piece of Chelmsford history that almost no one ever sees. The road itself was moved long ago, and the entire original route was decommissioned. Today only the name remains, and the road itself now only exists on historic maps […]

What a difference 100 feet makes. Both of these photos were taken on the back hill at Sunny Meadow. They are separated by about 100 feet. The contrast is noticeable. One photo shows the maintained sugar bush within the Cooking Buckets farm area. That stand of sugar maples has received consistent stewardship. Trees are pruned […]