Colrain

A country lifestyle paired with modern internet connectivity

Residents enjoy making use of the extra land. “We all seem to raise our own chickens, we have our own eggs,” says Cathy Roberts, a lifelong area resident and real estate agent at Cohn & Company Real Estate who has sold homes here for 25 years and serves as a host for American Dream TV. Farms range from hobby farms or small homesteads to bigger family-run operations. Other livestock are common here, including cows, pigs, goats and even llamas or alpacas. “It’s just a wonderful country way of living, where we kind of step back a bit from the bright lights and big cities, where we celebrate our farms and our waterways,” Roberts says. “We’re blessed to be nestled in the western part of the state. People come here because they want to be here.” Despite its rural nature, Colrain has high-speed internet to accommodate remote workers. The town completed a years-long project to bring high-speed internet to all its homes in 2021.

Education options include regional high schools and tech programs

Colrain is served by Mohawk Trail Public Schools, where they attend small country schools like Colrain Central School and Mohawk Trail Regional High School. Massachusetts’ school choice program also allows students to apply to magnet schools like Franklin County Technical School or out-of-district schools. Acceptance is limited by space and determined through a lottery system.

Recreation like hiking, whitewater rafting and cross country skiing

Colrain is home to the Catamount State Forest and half of H.O. Cook State Forest, offering a wide range of outdoor activities. “You’ll find that in Massachusetts, we’re on the map because of our four-season outdoor activities,” Roberts says. “There’s a lot of things you can get outside and do that don’t cost you any money, and you get away from the city and the bright lights.” The forests offer activities like:

• Hiking
• Fishing and kayaking
• Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
• Snowmobiling

Farm stands and markets make Colrain a hub for local food

To stock up on groceries, most residents drive about 7 miles to Keystone Market in Shelburne Falls, but they can get gas and a few essentials at Catamount Country Store in Colrain’s center. Local farms also have stands with farm-fresh produce or meat, creating a thriving farm-to-table industry. “In Colrain, The Pine Hill Orchards is famous,” Roberts says. “Schools bring kids there for tours. They can pick their own apples, and they make cider there.” The orchard is equally famous for its cider donuts, but its farm store also has peaches, plums and blueberries grown on the property, plus jams, ice cream, fresh bread and soups. Cider is still king at the orchard, though. Pine Hill Orchards is one of the birthplaces of Franklin County’s popular CiderDays, a three-day festival celebrating all things cider. Crafts of Colrain is another popular event in the little town, where participants can explore local artisans’ workspaces and look at — and perhaps purchase — their art. “It helps you discover all of the talented, hidden artists that make their living in some of these cottage industry towns,” Roberts says.

Colrain is close to bigger towns and 20 minutes from Greenfield

State Route 112, also known as Jacksonville Road, brings residents south into Shelburne Falls and north into Vermont. Greenfield, the county seat, is just 10 miles away — a drive that takes under 20 minutes. It’s home to more shopping, including large grocery chains, and the closest hospital, Baystate Franklin Medical Center. “There’s a whole group of people that want to live in the country and yet be closer to bigger cities for doctors and hospitals, and we have that here,” Roberts says. Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is 45 miles away.