THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOMEFARM
- Michael Borden
- Oct 9
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 15
HOMEFARM AT UNDERMOUNTAIN IS POSITIONING ITSELF FOR SUCCESS
By Michael Borden
Photos By Gregory Cherin
Nicole March was burnt out. After 20-plus years as a registered nurse, the 46-year-old caregiver felt she had nothing left to give, quit her job, and wondered what to do next.
“I was pretty low at that point,” says March, a Pittsfield native and mother of one. “A friend told me about this place called HomeFarm where they do equine therapy. I had no idea what that was, but I went on their website and read about what they do. I can honestly tell you it changed my life.”
Equine therapy is an experiential treatment that leverages the highly intuitive sensitivity of horses to human emotions and nonverbal cues. Practiced around the world (and locally at venues like Berkshire HorseWorks in Richmond), it uses horses to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth in individuals. It has been found to be particularly effective in helping people to process and change negative behaviours.
What March didn’t know as she pulled into the driveway of HomeFarm at Undermountain, a one-of-a-kind 100-acre farm in Lenox, is that Executive Director Lori Pestana is set out to make it a premier equine therapy facility in New England.
The Farm That Almost Wasn’t
The land itself has history. Built in 1902 as a gentleman’s farm, it fell into disrepair in the 2000s. By 2021, when Pestana started boarding her horse at the farm, the buildings were on the brink of collapse, and the farm owed upwards of $100,000 in back property taxes. Engineers warned that the main barn might not last another three years.
But Pestana was already hooked on the place. She and her husband had moved from Boston to Williamstown to find an affordable location to board her horse, a black and white paint named Jack who’s now 22. Marshalling her decades-long background as a business management consultant, she met with the owners of the farm and presented her idea for running it as a nonprofit. “I just wanted a place to keep my horse,” she remembers with a chuckle. “I never thought three years later, I’d be running the place.” The farm was granted nonprofit status in December of 2021, and Pestana has been going full-speed into raising funds.
Two Great Heroes to the Rescue
About this time, two New Yorkers, Gary Knisely and his wife, Jeannie Knigin, decided to move to the Berkshires. Knisely was the owner of an executive search firm in Manhattan. Knigin, a native Texan, had spent more than 50 years at the highest levels of Morgan Stanley. The house they chose in Lenox was once part of Undermountain Farm property, located right across the street, and was split from the rest of the property to sell separately.
Like any new homeowners, they were interested in preserving the pastoral beauty in the area they bought. "The last thing Lenox needed was a development of McMansions taking the place of this beautiful natural environment," says Kbisely, an energetic septuagenarian possessed of a charming twinkle in his eye. When the Sprague family gifted the farm to the new non-profit, the only provision was that Gary accept the role of Chairman of the Board. He did, and immediately set out to successfully raise over a million dollars with his neighbors to revive the farm.
“We weren’t looking for a project but this one grabbed us,” says Knigin, whose slight Texas twang underscores her formidableness as a business woman. “People think we own the farm,” adds Knisely. “We definitely don’t. We own the property across the street from it. We just felt it would be better for the entire community if we pitched in to save this absolute gem of a farm which is one of the last working gentleman farms in the area.”
Pitching in is an understatement. The Knisley's and their neighbors raised over $1 million allowing for all new fencing, making necessary repairs to the buildings and hiring a trail boss, a development person for future fundraising, as well as setting the foundation for equine therapy programs.
Galloping Toward the Future
Today, HomeFarm at Undermountain has 24 horses and ponies and serves as home for 10 privately owned horses boarded there. “Four of our horses came with the farm,” explains Pestana, giving a tour of the newly refurbished stables. “The remaining 21 are rescue horses we’ve rehabilitated.”
The farm features two houses and four barns, the largest of which is over 14,000 square feet with 20 horse stalls. Another barn houses their barnyard animals—five donkeys and seven goats—and includes a large room the farm plans to use as an education center. A third barn, known as the Arena barn, has 22 horse stalls and four pony stalls and opens onto a majestic indoor riding arena with postcard perfect views of the incredible surroundings.
One of the first things Pestana did after getting the fundraising ball rolling was appoint Dr. Gray Elrodt to HomeFarm’s board. Ellrodt, formerly the chief medical officer at Berkshire Health Systems, is now the head of a non-profit that serves uninsured and underinsured residents of the Berkshires and surrounding area.
“I’m a runner,” he explains vis-à-vis his introduction to the farm. “I live in the neighborhood and would run past this beautiful farm every day. I love barns. One day on my run, I stopped and started talking to Pestana about the state of the property. Pestana’s amazing. She’s got this unflagging passion for horses and the good they can do for people.”
Within hours of meeting her, Elrodt was offered a seat on the board. His goal for the farm is to take it to the next level as a state-of-the-art facility for helping anyone interested in the healing potential of relating to animals. “Just being here and taking in the amazing scenery is therapeutic,” he says. “I call it ‘farm therapy,’ and everyone can benefit from it.”
HomeFarm’s equine therapy program is certified by the National Equine Institute of Growth Through Healing (NEIGH). In an effort to upgrade the farm’s therapy capabilities, Elrodt and Pestana applied for and received a grant from the state’s Community Preservation Fund with the help of Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount in Lenox.
“Folks have no idea how much it costs to keep horses healthy and happy so they can be at their best to also help people,” Pestana explains. The wood shavings she buys for the stalls to keep her steeds comfortable, for example, cost $405 per truckload. “We do 52 truckloads a year,” she says. You can see how things add up. Knisely mentions the farm’s capital campaign that was launched in 2023. “We’re still in the capacity-building stage,” he explains. “So far, we’ve gotten close to $100,000 from neighbors and generous anonymous donors.”
A Typical Day of Life for the Horses
During the summer, the horses are kept indoors during the heat of the day, are turned out after 4 p.m. and return indoors at 7 a.m., when they are fed and groomed by some of the 11 staff employees who all live on the property. “It’s great that the people who work here also live here,” says Pestana. “It makes for a very strong sense of community—everyone steps up when something’s needed and it means 24/7 coverage for the farm.” Now that it’s fall, the schedule reverses. At 7 a.m., the horses hit the trails and are back indoors by 4 in the afternoon.
Operations are sustained through income producing activities such as boarding, lessons, trail rides, leases, donations, and efforts at fundraising.
A Community Resource for People of All Ages
The farm’s mission goes beyond equine therapy. HomeFarm now serves as a community resource for educational programs, family experiences, and arts events. The farm also offers a summer day camp program and has launched a “family day” package for kids and their parents to learn about and engage with horses, goats, rabbits, and sheep.
“We’re finally in a position to grow in a sustainable way,” said Pestana. Debra Goddeau of Pittsfield, who grew up with horses, was recently hired as development director to expand programming and outreach. “Working with kids and horses builds empathy, confidence, and a sense of belonging,” she says. “It becomes like a family.”
Feel like taking a donkey trek? How about a barn birthday party? HomeFarm at Undermountain offers a wealth of programs and activities for folks of any age including a wonderful summer day camp. The farm’s breathtaking vistas also provide the perfect backdrop for any occasion from birthdays to graduations to engagement parties or … just because.
“HomeFarm already is a unique resource for the Lenox community and the Berkshires in general,” says Knisely. “We’re shooting to make it a destination unlike any other in the area.”
From leisurely trail rides on horses or donkeys to artists gatherings of pure inspiration, HomeFarm is putting it all together in one the most beautiful and peaceful settings in all of the Berkshires. The notion of HomeFarm as a community resource is beginning to kick in, according to Pestana who’s now overseeing the kickoff of a new capital campaign. “ We’re trying to raise $250,000 this year to continue restoration and other projects,” says Knisely. “From now until the end of the year, two generous donors have pledged matching funds up to $125,000.”
Heeere’s Johnny!
Pestana knew that one of the most important things she needed to do was hire a superstar trail boss. Enter Johnny Snyder. “Johnny’s outstanding,” says Pestana, pleased to find a trail commander every bit as attuned to the nervous system of horses as she is. “He’s brought an energy to the riding here that nobody else anywhere can match.”
A native of the Berkshires, Snyder’s an accomplished musician, wilderness guide, and a world-champion polo player. One day, he saw a picture of people playing polo. Although he had never ridden a horse, the next day he started taking lessons and within no time was claiming first prize at world-class polo matches in America and Europe.”Yeah, I’ve been around,” he says with a smile. He has indeed. Snyder has been a wilderness guide in Chile, Zambia, Australia, Nepal, Latin America, and Europe. When he returned home to the Berkshires, he needed a place to board his polo horses and discovered Undermountain Farm. He still boards his horses there, and he even boards there himself, living on the property in a house the farm provides for employees and volunteers.
“Johnny’s an artist and adventurer,” says Knigin. And a hell of a rider. “We’re extremely lucky to have him,” adds Pestana. “He has an amazing relationship with the horses.” She recognized it the moment she saw him interact with them. “Any horse he’s on can pick up the subtlest hints of Johnny’s intentions. He’s really brought a championship ethos to riding in general and equine therapy in particular.
There’s No Place Like HomeFarm
In addition to being a unique resource for therapeutic and pleasure riding in the Berkshires, HomeFarm, with its acres and acres of lush, wooded trails, and breathtaking mountain scenery, has an aura that simply seems to calm the soul.
“There’s a vibe here that’s very special,” says Snyder, alluding to Elrodt’s notion of farm therapy. “It feels good just being here.”
Nicole March felt it immediately. “Something happened to me when I pulled into the driveway,” she recalls. “A feeling of calm came over me. Within minutes, Lori had me picking a horse. More accurately, the horse picked me. The first stall I went into, the horse just turned its back to me, which I took as a sign that this one wouldn’t be a match. As we were walking to the next stall, the horse picked up his head and looked right at me. I don’t know what happened, but tears welled up in my eyes. I knew she was the one. The horse’s name is Casca, and she’s basically saved my life.”
March doesn’t ride. “I just visit with her, bring her snacks, walk her around the paddock, and give her affection which she always gives back,” she says. March spends time with Casca once or twice a week. “Lori’s been gracious enough to offer me a sliding scale so I can afford it.” March is sure that just being around Casca has helped her self-esteem. “I’ve been amazed at the way everyone at the farm respects the dignity of each horse, despite their individual personality quirks,” she says. “It makes me feel I can accept some of my own personality quirks, which is a very valuable lesson for me.”
Gaining the trust of Casca has been transformative for March. “I feel so grateful to have this opportunity, that I still well up every time I pull into the driveway there. I never understood the meaning of the farm’s name, Home. Now it makes perfect sense to me.”
“We’d love people to come and see the magic here for themselves,” says Pestana, leading Jack back into his stall. “This place is already a unique resource for the Lenox community and anybody else who’d like to experience the unique healing connection you can have with an animal.”
“The horses are waiting for you,” Snyder says with a smile.
HomeFarm at Undermountain is located one mile from the center of Lenox and 1.5 miles from Tanglewood. Upcoming events include “HorsePower 4 Horses,” a car show, on Saturday, October 4, 12 to 4 p.m. at the farm to raise money for the current capital campaign. On Saturday, November 1, stop by for their Luminary Walk, where visitors can enjoy the trails and scenery and see the farm under the lights. It’s a family-friendly walk of about a quarter mile.