Elmartin Farm -- Cheshire MA

About The Present Owner Everett L. "Gus" Martin

QR -- QUICK READ
ELMARTIN FARM
FARM STORE
2013 Farm Updates To Current
2012 Farm Update
Family's Farm History
About The Present Owner Everett L. "Gus" Martin
Property Pictoral
Topographic & Satellite Maps of the Property & Region
The Barn & Current Use
Beef
Beef Production Program
Pigs
Poultry
Fun On The Farm
Elmartin Farm Stay
Elmartin Cows and Bulls Herds / Dispersals / Names
Mount Greylock & Amphitheater
Cheshire Massachusetts

line_700x1_deep_brown.jpg

 
Everett L. Martin
"Gus"
 
Owner and Past Operator of Elmartin Farm
and
Assessor, Accountant, Appraiser,
Property Tax Consultant
Massachusetts Accredited Assessor #40 - 2/18/77
Last three-year re-certification on 7/19/11
 
Integrity On  & Off The Farm
 
Three generations of  farming and assessing
in Cheshire starting with Gus' grandfather.
When Gus' grandfather died, Everett Sr.
assumed the role; upon on his death,
the Town farmers 'insisted' that
Gus run for election to
secure the office.
He won.
 

Owner Operator
Elmartin Farm
 
Seventh generation of Martins farming in Cheshire since 1790
with 8th and 9th generations presently working the farm.
 
 
Current Activity
   Owner Elmartin Farm since 1959. 
Operator to 2013 
 
Memberships:            
   Berkshire County Farm Bureau
   Berkshire Grown
   Holstein Friesian Association
 
Other Activities              
   Agricultural Fairs Judge for Dairy, Flowers, Fruit, Vegetables and Grange Exhibits 
                
   Former Member of Cheshire Grange #17, Master for several years
   4-H Club Leader for 25 years – 1956 to 1981
  
4-H Club Achievement & Awards                   
   Berkshire County Outstanding Member under 14, Lamp from Western Mass. Electric Co.
   Berkshire County Outstanding Member Award at Barrington Fair, Camera & Projector
   Massachusetts winner in 4-H Leadership –1954,  Gold Watch
   National winner in 4-H Leadership, trip to National 4-H Club Congress, Chicago
   National Dairy Products Corp. Efficient Production Award – 1955,
   4-H Club Agent - Berkshire County Extension Service 1967
 
Non-Farm Memberships
  Hoosac Hose Company - Cheshire’s Volunteer Fire Department
  Treasurer
 
Education
   Adams High School - Class of 1953 
   University of Massachusetts  -
      Stockbridge School of Agriculture 
      Associate Degree in Science  1955
   Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers Schools
   MA Municipal Auditors & Accountants Assoc. School 2001 & 2003
 
Historical Farm Highlights & Exchange Programs
   See Inset Below

 

Assessor, Accountant, Appraiser,
Property Tax Consultant
 
Father, Grand Father, daughter-in-law, and self all assessors;
A combined total of 100 years in the profession..
 
 
Current Assessing & Appraising
   Assessor - Town of Cheshire – 2/5/60 to 6/30/04
and since 5/1/06
   Assessor - Town of New Ashford - 7/1/87 to 6/30/04
and since 7/1/05 
    State Farmland Valuation Advisory Commission
      Appointed by Governor Francis Sargent in 1974
 
Instructor:                     
   MAAO - Course 200; General Laws Chapters 61, 61A & 61B 
      MAAO UMASS Annual School - Most years from 1988 to 2006
 
Awards:                             
   Past Presidents Award - Mass. Assoc. Assessing Officers - 1981
   Wilson Award - Mass. Assoc. Assessing Officers - 1992
   Sherry Vermilya Award - Northeast Regional Assessors - 1998
   Berkshire Co. Assessors Presidential Award - 2002
   Catherine E. Pardee Award - Northeast Regional Assessors - 2013
 
Memberships:           
   Berkshire County Assessors Association
   Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers
       President – 1991, Site Committee Chair since 1983
   Northeast Regional Association of Assessing Officers
       Vice-President 5/2005 to 5/2006, Secretary since 10/19/2007
   International Association of Assessing Officers – State Rep.
 
Other Work & Past Employment    
   Assessor for Town of Williamstown 1/30/84 to 10/10/86
   Assessor for Town of Clarksburg 7/1/88 to 12/31/95
   Appraiser for A. Perras Appraisal 1992 to 1994
   Consultant to Assessors in Plainfield, Richmond, Hindsale, Lanesboro, Florida,
Hancock, Peru, New Marlboro, Southampton, Windsor & Williamsburg,
   Cheshire Town Accountant 3/15/2000 to 6/30/03
   South Adams Savings Bank Corporator 1962 - 2011
 
IAAO Conferences Attended
1988 Nashville, 1991 Phoenix, 1996 Seattle,
2003 Nashville,  2004 Boston,   2005 Anchorage, 2006 Milwaukee

A Few Historical Farm Highlights
Under Gus' & Dodi's Ownership
 
                     
From 1960’s to 1980’s, operated a cattle trucking sideline, started by my father, which weekly collected cows and calves in the area to go to Cambridge Valley Livestock Market in Cambridge, New York.
 
Served as a representative for Eastern States Farmers Exchange, which became Agway; and then later for other brands, selling and delivering grain, seed, and fertilizer to area farmers. 
    
With brother Fred, ran our milk processing plant; operated five delivery trucks with routes from north of Pittsfield to south of Bennington, with a processing plant in Stamford.
 
Bred cows artificially for area farmers with semen stored in dry ice and later in liquid nitrogen.
 
Went on a People to People Agricultural Tour in 1980 with then state agricultural commissioner, Fred Winthrop, plus twenty other individuals  to Poland, Romania, Denmark and Sweden.
 
While a 4-H Club Agent, chaperoned 21 4-H’ers from Massachusetts to the World Expo ‘67 in Montreal... and from there, for a stay with 4-H families in Ontario, Canada. 
 
Showed cattle at many fairs in the region. 
 
For a time, raised a Shorthorn beef herd, heifers came from a sale in Cortland, NY, and a bull from Frieburg Fair in Maine.
 
Purchased cows at an auction in Indiana.  Purchased half of the Amy Wing herd, the Lawrence Bieniek herd, the Dean herd and other small herds like Sophie Randall's and Mrs. Nowak's.  A large number of cows came from the Chickering auction in Bellows Falls, VT while many others from dispersals around New England.
 
Had a dispersal of our registered Holsteins in 1966.  Our herds were always on DHIA testing.
 
Worked at Berkshire Farm For Boys in 1968.  Bought their surplus heifers and started a new herd of Holstein cattle.  Kept small herd of 20 cows while renting part of farm to Fred Balawender and later expanding.  Sold herd again in 1979-80.
 
A former square dance caller who still likes to Waltz and Polka. 

 
Family Hosted Farm Exchange Visitors 

STUDENT
 
Govind Man Shrestha – Nepal
Thongtanh Souvannaphandhu – Laos
Hack Ro Rhee – Korea
Ahmnd ElKai – Egypt
Midori Matsuzaki – Japan
Kota Suzuki - Japan
Sven Erikson – Sweden
Per Martin Jedenberg – Sweden
Raul              - Venezuela
Kristin Sobstad – Norway

PROGRAM
 
International Farm Youth Exchange, "IFYE," Program        
Voice of America tour, Pittsfield Grange Hosted Visitors 
IFYE
IFYE 
Japanese 4-H Exchange 
Japanese 4-H Exchange
Experiment in International Living 
High School Exchange Program
IFYE
IFYE

line_700x1_deep_brown.jpg

lowerright352transcopy.gif

This Site Is Developed By
World Wide Web Identity
             by
      John David Sottile