Over at Garden Rant Mary Gray's guest rant bewailed the state of many school grounds, all concrete and lawn. I am very familiar with the school grounds that she describes, but I feel fortunate that the children in our small town have a very different school experience. The Heath Elementary School, which opened in 1996, was built in a pasture surrounded by woodland. When the school bus pulls off the dirt road onto the driveway it passes a…
I'm so happy to participate in the Loving Local Farmers Market Blogathon hosted by In Our Grandmother's Kitchens for several reasons. First, Farmers Markets are beautiful and celebratory places to be. Everywhere are gorgous healthy fruits and vegetables, fragrant herbs and brilliant flowers. Everyone is cheerful when they are surrounded by this beautiful bounty. Who wouldn't like to spend an hour at the Farmers Market? Second, is the energy savings of locally grown produce. I know all about…
The Heath Fair begins for me on Thursday when a loyal crew sets up the Friends of the Heath Library tent, after which we bring in our exhibits. This year I was in charge of bringing in exhibits for Anthony and Drew, and Tynan, as well as my own. Talk about hectic. When we arrived at the Fair on a sunny Saturday morning we found we had lots of winners. All the boys had won ribbons and Rory's…
August 13 3-5 pm The Belly Bus will be at the Town Common in Greenfield. You can bring non-perishable foods to the Common which will then be distributed to area food pantries. Unfortunately, more and more families are suffering from food insecurity, not knowing if their own pantry will last out the week, or the next day. Please help. August 14 & 15 9 am-2 pm Mary Kay Hoffman of E. Hawley MA is offering a dig in her large…
This is the season for sunflowers - and for a sunflower contest. The Recorder and the Greenfield Garden Club will hold their Annual Sunflower Contest on Saturday, August 21 at the Energy Park in Greenfield. There will be ribbons and prizes for the tallest, the largest blossom and the heaviest seedhead, as well as the most blossoms on a single plant AND the most beautiful arrangement. That arrangement must consist mostly of sunflowers. Entries will be accepted in…
It seems like I have been celebrating my 70th birthday for weeks - what with visiting grandchildren and a big cake at the Family Reunion for all the Zero babies, but yesterday was my actual birthday, which I share with several friends, making it a joyous day indeed. All day long I collected email birthday wishes - a virtual birthday party - arranged by my friend Peter. He always has something up his sleeve! A delightful gift! Our…
Ev Hatch will never forget the seed salesman who talked to him about his upcoming retirement. Instead of selling seeds, he was going to plant a lot of vegetable seeds, tend the plot and donate all the vegetables to food pantries. Over his career Hatch has planted a lot of seeds, in the ground, and in the community as he worked for the Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H. After his retirement in 1977 from these agricultural state enterprises …
Daylily season is upon us. Even those who can't name many flowers recognize dayliles, those growing in glorious organce by the road side, and those in shades of cream and pink, coral, gold and deep reds and burgundies in cultivated gardens. Some daylilies have the classic simple trumpet shape and some are ruffled. Because daylilies are so hardy as well and beautiful in their variety, many small growers sell them in full bloom, dug out of the garden…
Who would not like to live on Pudding Hollow Road? It is clearly a road steeped in the history of Hawley, a town settled in 1760, and a unique pudding contest which took place in the late 1770s. Farms and food have always been important parts of Hawley’s history and culture so I could not resist the opportunity to visit the newest farm and an old established garden, both on Pudding Hollow Road, and both a part of…
Today the chicks are one month old! We celebrated by moving half of them down to their new home in The Dell with Sheila. She rebuilt their chicken house to make it snug and safe. Three strong women, Sheila, her daughter Katelynn, and I squeezed into our henhouse to separate out the Buff Orpingtons, New Hampshire Reds, Silver Laced Wyandottes and Black Stars from the Barred Rocks, Dominiques and Araucanas. Sheila lost count as Katelynn handed them off…