Thousands of people flock to Tiverton Four Corners each year to soak up the simple pleasures of this quaint New England village, comprising 18th century buildings, housing, shops, galleries and artisan foodstuffs. Adam and Kristin Silveira, however, are lucky enough to call the 300+ year old village home. The parents of Alyssa (18), Megan (17), Jami (15) and Jonathan (12), the Silveiras bought a small farm on Main Road in 2009 and today, they raise free range chickens and ducks for eggs, goats, a pig and sometimes, Freedom Ranger chickens for meat (but not this year). “Owning a farm wasn’t always a dream of ours, it just kind of evolved organically,” reveals Kristin. In another unexpected twist, the realtor who had sold them the farm knocked on the door a year or so later with interesting news. Old Tiverton Four Corners Schoolhouse No. 1, which was adjacent to the farm, was coming on the market. Built in 1800 for one of the founding families of Tiverton (it wasn’t uncommon to have schools in homes at the time), it was a charming property but one in need of love and attention. “First we were like, ‘no way,’” says Kristen, but it didn’t take much convincing once they did a “just to check it out” walk though.
The Silveiras renovated the exterior to replicate a historic photo they saw in a book of the schoolhouse. The interior, however, celebrates modern day living. Antique schoolhouse memorabilia and pieces that are a nod to Tiverton history are peppered throughout the home, which they now rent as a vacation property for farm stays. Guests often collect eggs from the coops with Kristin and Adam, pet the goats or entertain the pig.
As tending to the farm has been an enriching experience (on top of their full time jobs), Adam and Kristin launched an education program where they reach out to local schools, providing them with fertilized eggs so students can learn about farm life by watching the chicks hatch and grow in their first couple of days (the chicks are then returned to Sakonnet Farm). The circle of life – alive and well at Sakonnet Farm.
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