Fencing at the Garden
By Sandy Balayan
October 2026
When you tell someone you live in Otis, they usually say “I learned to ski at Otis Ridge” or “Is that the place where there are shacks painted with cute sayings about chickens?” Yes, those are probably the two institutions of Otis that are indelibly embedded in the minds of anyone who has visited the Berkshires. Otis Ridge survives as it always has but there are new owners at the poultry farm who are taking it in a new direction. While we aren’t exactly sure what will be the end result, we do know that Mountain Goat Masonry and Peter Stearns have many ideas for the egg farm. While change is afoot, we are also very thankful that Peter has agreed to let the community garden continue to make its home on his property as it has been there since the Pyenson family graciously permitted the garden to grow and flourish at the site.
Our new community garden fence. Left, Chris Cortigiano; right, Gordon Middleton. Photo by Troy Fluckiger
While the 17th season comes to a close, a group of volunteers have donated their time and effort to provide a much needed new fence around the boundaries of the garden. Two families have provided large donations, The O’Brien family foundation, Smile Like Jack, and the Tonlino family have been instrumental in providing the money and stone used for the project. Pulling it all together is Troy Fluckiger and his wife Alice, longtime Otis residents. Land owner Peter Stearns has offered equipment and advice along the way. Together with volunteers Gordon Middleton, Brian Pilazzi and Chris Cortigiano, (Troy likes to say they were “voluntold”) the fence should be complete well before this article is published in the October Otis Observer.
Alice, one of the heads of the garden, has been involved for six years. Troy is the official water boy and because he knew how to build a fence, Alice “volunteered” him, he would spearhead this effort. Using 4x4 pressure treated posts, 2x4 top and bottom rails and a lot of muscle, the six-foot-high fence surrounded by stone on fabric in a one-foot perimeter around the bottom of the fence, should be varmint free, slug free and hopefully weed free.
Also contributing to the effort are the dues collected each year from the members, who tirelessly work the garden to keep it up and running. The Otis Food Pantry, as well as the Lee Food Pantry and our own COA, are the main donation sites for the vegetables grown. The rest of the bounty is taken by the 22-member strong community garden volunteers. Lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, squash, zucchini, beets, turnips, scallions, peppers, garlic, spinach, arugula, kale, swiss chard and more, grow in abundance each summer. The 82’x 48’ garden houses thirty beds and in addition to vegetables, you’ll find an assortment of herbs and of course beautiful sunflowers.
The volunteer gardeners commit time each week to plant, weed, harvest and deliver. “It’s a good feeling to watch the dirt become an array of fresh produce that we can donate to the community. It’s very rewarding. Everyone can get involved. If you can’t build a fence or till the soil, there is always plenty of weeding!” says Alice. Alice credits her involvement in the garden for a plethora of knowledge she now has about what it takes to grow a successful garden of this magnitude. “You get to meet so many people working at the garden and then make contact with people you might never meet in your day-to-day life at the food pantries and COA. It’s nice to be part of a town project that brings people together.”
Gordon Middleton, Chris Cortigiano and Troy Fluckiger preparing the locations for the post holes for the new garden fence. Photo by Ellen Dilts
Member Ellen Dilts, an active member of the Otis Observer, as well as a community garden member since its inception, says “Over the years I have watched the garden grow. Every year we have experimented with different techniques along the way. I’ve learned a lot during this process and saw how the changes yielded a greater bounty. It’s a pleasure to see new people join us and meet new friends along the way. There is a lot of chatter about one’s personal gardens and sharing of ideas. We share recipe ideas and tips for planting and more. The leadership and volunteerism has been inspirational.”
Not only vegetables grow in our community garden. Connections and friendships flourish and are nourished by the common goal of seeing the tiny seeds and plants become the beautiful and healthy plants that are later donated to food pantries, the elderly, and to the members of the garden. We all know the saying “It takes a village,” which is so true in this case. Our village is the community members who tirelessly volunteer and make things happen in our wonderful Otis. Stop by and see the new and improved fence and maybe think about getting involved in our community backyard. The rewards are great, delicious, and healthy too!