It’s summer in Jeffersonville, and the woodlands along the Brewster River are buzzing with cicadas. Children splash in the gorge below Vermont’s historic Grist Mill Covered Bridge. Visitors flock to the trails beyond, seeking shade and the chance to socialize, from a distance.

They can roam over seven miles of public trails on the 1,300-acre Brewster Uplands Conservation Trust property. Vermont Land Trust established the Trust in 2006 after the land was donated by the Bryan family, who spent years building the trail network. Hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers follow the river or venture into the woodlands for mountain views.

The property also has two working farms that offer a different kind of public benefit.