Heath Dairy Farm: A Living Legacy with New Potential

A Replicable Model

When I moved to Bethlehem, New York, one of the first places my family and I lived was a house on the old Heath Dairy Farm property. At the time, I didn’t realize how meaningful that connection would become.

The Town of Bethlehem now owns over 300 acres of that former farm, and it represents a rare and exciting opportunity. What if this land could once again support local food production—this time using sustainable methods that also protect natural resources and educate the public?

I recently met with the Town’s Open Space Coordinator to learn more about the Heath Dairy Project and to share some ideas from my decades of work in conservation and community planning. I’ve written about that conversation—and the broader potential of the project—in my latest blog post on The Nature of Things website.

You can read the full article here:
👉 https://www.rgdodson.com/heath-dairy-farm-a-living-legacy-with-new-potential/

If you live in or near Bethlehem, I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or memories of this place. And if you're from elsewhere, perhaps there’s a Heath Dairy Farm in your community—waiting to be reimagined.

#TheNatureOfThings #ConservationLifestyles #BethlehemNY #LocalFarming #SustainableLandUse