Solitude Farmz is a unique environmental tourism attraction lies in the heart of Preston, New York. This attraction is a hidden Chenango County gem. Taylor and Nancy Zimmerman, have worked to renovate the farm into a mental health retreat (Submitted photo)

By Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

PRESTON - Solitude Farmz is a unique environmental tourism attraction lies in the heart of Preston, New York. This attraction is a hidden Chenango County gem that has charmed scholars the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Thoreau wrote Walden, his pioneering classic, while living on Emerson’s property at Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Emerson used his nature retreat to escape, and his intellectual companion Thoreau used it to write his best work. Thoreau’s memoir is a call to simplicity, environmentalism and self-reflection, all of which can be achieved while in Solitude.

To understand Solitude Farmz is to understand the small handful of people who have made it what it is today. The retreat was founded in the late 1970’s by John and Janet Gatto as an escape from their urban life. John Gatto was a teacher in Manhattan and happened to discover this 125-acre plot in Preston while conducting a real estate assignment for his 7th graders.

John was a passionate teacher and was named New York State Teacher of the Year in 1989. Shortly after earning this distinction, Gatto publicly resigned from his position and became a global leader in homeschooling. Gatto wrote nine books, criticizing modern education and advocating for a return to homeschooling.

Taking the earnings from his published works, Gatto and his wife renovated the barn on their land in Chenango County, calling it “Solitude”. Just as Emerson had Walden, Gatto had Solitude. Just as Emerson had a fellow scholar in Thoreau, Gatto had a fellow Solitude devotee in his first cousin, Taylor Zimmer.

Solitude was a family vacation retreat for generations but was eventually turned over to Taylor Zimmer in 2017. Taylor and his wife, Nancy, have worked to renovate the barn into a vacation rental and mental health retreat, dubbed “Solitude Farmz.”

Taylor said, “Everything has a second life at Solitude Farmz. Most of the wood inside the barn is reclaimed from what was stripped from the outside of the barn during renovation.” The names of the Gatto family are carved in the wood around the doorframes, and mementos of John Gatto’s life and career can be found throughout the house.

The converted barn contains a modernized kitchen, a bedroom and dining room, bathrooms, a large deck with a fireplace, and a living room for programs to be hosted. The barn also has enhanced insulation and sheetrock, Taylor emphasized, “Solitude Farmz can be enjoyed in all four seasons, the natural environment is meant to enhance the retreat experience.”

The farm is focused on sustainability, with 48 ground mounted solar panels, gardens, scenic forests, and benches for reading and relaxation around the property. There are also ponds, archeological relics in the process of being dated, and upper, middle and lower walking trails to enjoy. Solitude Farmz also collaborates with the Finger Lakes Trail and provides housing to hikers passing through the area.

Solitude Farmz often hosts community events that opens their previously exclusive family retreat to the public. The location is a certified monarch butterfly waystation, meaning they create, conserve and protect Monarch habitats. During peak monarch season in late summer of this year, they invited the public, the Scouts, and different community groups to learn and care for monarch butterflies. They also recently opened “Solitude Meadowz”, Chenango County’s first 9-hole frisbee golf course.

Solitude Soulz, New York State’s exclusive provider of Opus Peace training, also operates on location. Nancy Zimmer is a Certified Hospice & Palliative Care Nurse, Certified End of Life Doula and an Opus Peace Ambassador.

Started by VA nurses in Florida, Opus Peace focuses on healing Soul Injury, which N. Zimmer explains as, “An emptiness, hurt, loss of purpose, un-mourned loss.” N. Zimmer provides healing workshops such as Treating Caregiver Distress/Respite Care, Tai Chi, End of Life Processing, Legacy Projects, and offers intimate offsite sessions.

“The environment here is suitable for this type of work that bridges the gap of holistic care and End of Life Doulas that New York Medicare leaves” N. Zimmer states. She hopes to offer Hospice retreats, where patients and their families can enjoy nature and solitude together.

The role of humans in nature has changed greatly since the days of Emerson, Thoreau and transcendentalism. Thoreau was at Walden for two years, two months and two days. Visitors don’t have to stay nearly that long to experience inner peace and introspection, brought to them by the quiet, facilities, programs, and other offerings at Solitude Farmz.

To learn more, email relax@solitudefarmz.com. To see upcoming events and workshops or to book a stay, visit their website at www.solitudefarmz.com.