There was a comment recently that the current garden at Sunny Meadow was “not truly accessible.” That made me stop and think a bit. We have not seen full public plans yet for the new garden changes, so rather than speculate, I figured it was worth talking about what...

As we started dismantling the deck, it became clear that the screws used were not stainless steel. They were breaking repeatedly, which made removal extremely difficult. There is a workaround tool available (about $6 at Harbor Freight), but with the rain moving in and...

Spring is here, and with it comes tick season. Right on cue, John Ray spotted his first tick of the year at Koulas Farm this week. It is a good reminder that they are already active even with cooler mornings. Ticks are most commonly found in areas where grass meets...

A Simple Idea for Making Outdoor Water Connections More Accessible I was in the shop at Sunny Meadow recently and came across a box full of connectors and splitters used for water systems. These are the fittings that are added to faucets every spring so multiple...

This weekend we are filming two more episodes of the series “Cooking Buckets Sugar House: Making Syrup.” Episode 4 will be a longer virtual tour of the sugar shack. This one is called Inside the Sugar Shack and will walk through the entire process from raw sap to...

Sometimes a simple question can open the door to a much bigger story. Someone recently suggested that, as the trees grow, perhaps branches from them could someday be used to graft new trees. Those new trees could be planted at conservation sites, parks like Roberts...

Sometimes when walking through Chelmsford’s open spaces, you stumble across something that makes you stop in your tracks. Hidden just off the trail in one of our larger conservation areas sits this rusting piece of farm equipment. It is not in the best condition, and...

The Last Farms of Chelmsford Looking at where farming stands today and whether there is still room for the next generation Chelmsford began as a farming town. For centuries the landscape was shaped by fields, orchards, pasture, and working woods. Even today the stone...

COSS Educational Series: Maple Syrup Production in Chelmsford One of the missions of Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship (COSS) is to share educational information with residents and the public. This includes stories about local history, nature, community events, and...

The Sap is Running in Chelmsford The maple season is now fully underway, and the new sugar bush at Sunny Meadow Farm is already showing what it can do. With the new tapping method, we are seeing about 25 gallons of sap per day coming in from the Sunny Meadow trees....

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

Most people do not know how maple syrup is actually made. They see a bottle on a shelf. Maybe a bucket hanging on a tree in an old photo. That is about it. Here is what is really happening. In late winter, when nights drop below freezing and days warm above freezing,...

Due to winter restrictions still in place at Sunny Meadow, today’s walk had to jump through a few hoops to happen. None of the internal access roads were cleared, and the typical farm road across the property could not be opened. Plan B became the original farm road...

Through snow and wind, nine brave souls gathered in the parking lot at Koulas Farm as a winter storm rolled through. Armed not with swords, but with loppers, hand saws, and chainsaws, our band set forth into the fields on a quest to free the trees from choking...

When we have work parties and start clearing areas covered in heavy bittersweet and other invasives, you never know what you are going to uncover. Today was no different. We had a full crew of nine volunteers, all experienced with invasive mitigation at Koulas and...

Maple season is officially underway, and I wanted to give everyone a clear update on what is happening with Cooking Buckets in Chelmsford. Jamie operates two very different sugar bushes here in town. The first is a traditional hillside sugar bush. This is what most...

Not with buildings. Not with pavement. But with stories. Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship (COSS) and Friends groups are continuing the steady work of identifying and restoring twelve points of interest across the Koulas site. None of these are large construction...

Possible Bands for “Music From the Farm” We are starting to line up this summer’s Music From the Farm series at Sunny Meadow Farm, and I have to say… it is shaping up to be a great season. Below is a list of possible bands who have expressed interest in playing. Take...

COSS has been reaching out for grants to help provide free, outdoor, family-friendly events in Chelmsford, and we just heard back. They have been approved. Here is what was funded for 2026: • Music at the Farm at Sunny Meadow Farm (expanded from 4 in 2025) Six free...

One thing I tell every volunteer is this: I have an 80% rule. If you show up and give me 80% of what we planned, that’s fantastic. I can handle the last 20%. Volunteering isn’t about perfection. It’s about participation. Life is busy. People have different abilities,...

Well, over the last few weeks Roberts Field keeps coming up, and residents are starting to talk. Nothing formal yet, just a lot of interest bubbling up in conversations. The park sits in Precinct 5, and with that seat contested this election cycle, it is reasonable to...