In a region where The Trustees has a deep connection to the community, Millborn Farm will provide residents and visitors with a unique refuge to experience nature’s splendor.
The Opportunity
Situated on 180+ acres in the towns of Sherborn and Millis in the heart of the Charles River Valley, Millborn Farm is unlike any other property in the area. An intimate tree-lined entrance leads to an expansive open landscape of stonewall-lined hay fields, forestland, farm lanes, and more than a mile of waterfront along the Charles River, Bogastow Brook, and South End Pond. Trails meander through fields and forest and around floodplain habitat along the water’s edge. Few places boast this combination of stunning landscape features and resources.
The Trustees’ newest reservation at Millborn Farm is monumental achievement for land conservation and outdoor recreation supporters across the state.
Thanks to the generous contributions in this campaign, The Trustees acquired Millborn Farm in March 2024 to protect the land from the potential for development, to provide precious space for people to engage with nature, and to preserve its legacy and significant environmental value.
But our work is not yet done. The remaining $340,000 in our campaign goal will help establish an endowment to ensure the long-term care of this property.
DonateThe Vision for Millborn Farm
Millborn Farm will be open to the public for self-guided exploration and passive recreation, including bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. Visitors can explore the trails through the lush fields and forests and along the water’s edge. The ecological diversity, access to water, open fields, and safe entry and exit away from the road all provide ideal spaces for families to explore and learn about the natural world while having fun outdoors.
Initial work to activate the reservation will include:
- creation of a parking area
- clearing, grading, and maintenance of trails
- a visitor kiosk and installation of wayfinding signage
- maintaining existing equestrian use of Millborn Farm, including with the Norfolk Hunt Club
The multi-year plan for revitalizing the property also includes future additional engagement and experiential educational opportunities such as immersive guided experiences, as well as school partnerships and field trips, based on community needs and interests. Potential repurposing of existing buildings will be considered to support these initiatives. Given the extensive frontage along bodies of water, engagement staff will collaborate with Trustees ecologists to determine how best to provide water access, which could include a boardwalk, viewing platform, kayak launch, or managed shoreline access.
The Trustees acknowledges that Millborn Farm is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nipmuc Tribe. Staff will integrate this acknowledgement into planning as the organization strives to be more inclusive in stewarding Massachusetts landscapes for the public’s use and enjoyment.
The Challenge
The Trustees must raise $14.4 million to protect, and maintain Millborn Farm as a reservation in perpetuity. We currently have raised $14.1 million. Help us raise the remaining $340,450 by March 1, 2024 to establish and endowment for long-term care.
The Trustees has less than $350,000 left to raise to reach our goal. This funding is needed to ensure the high-qualtity stewardship and care of the landscape.
The total to be raised includes:
- Acquisition and Transaction Expenses: $10,212,500
- Reservation Activation Costs*: $1,946,885
- Endowment for Long Term Care: $2,237,500
TOTAL COSTS: $14,396,885
*Includes parking area, trails, signage, stabilizing buildings, creating water access, ecological and cultural resources research, and other activities to create a safe and welcoming Trustees reservation.
Why The Trustees
The Trustees is Massachusetts’ largest, and the nation’s first, conservation and preservation nonprofit. The organization owns and manages more than 120 unique properties across the state—from working farms and public gardens, to community parks, barrier beaches, historic houses, museums, and more—and welcomes more than 2 million visitors to its properties every year. The Trustees has the experience and expertise to protect Millborn Farm in perpetuity and to realize its full potential as a special place for outdoor enjoyment.
With a long history and significant presence in the Charles River Valley, The Trustees protects more than 2,600 acres across 17 diverse and dynamic properties, including its first reservation, Rocky Narrows, acquired in 1897. A strong demand exists for outdoor recreation opportunities in the area; some of The Trustees most-visited properties are located here. In a region where The Trustees has a deep connection to the community, Millborn Farm will provide residents and visitors with a unique refuge to experience nature’s splendor.
The addition of Millborn Farm to the Trustees portfolio will connect it via navigable water to nine other Trustees reservations: Cedariver in Millis and Shattuck Reservation in Medfield to the south, Bridge Island Meadows to the east across South End Pond, and Rocky Narrows (Sherborn), Medfield Meadow Lots (Medfield), Peters Reservation (Dover), and Charles River Peninsula (Needham) to the north all abut the Charles River. Further, hiking trails from Shattuck Reservation connect to Noon Hill Reservation (Medfield) and those from Peter’s Reservation connect to Chase Woodlands (Dover).
For more information on the vision for Millborn Farm, or to learn how to support the effort, contact Jenna Gomes, Interim Head of Development.
