Category: Activities

Visiting Billings Farm and Museum is taking a step into history. As you walk the land and enter the 19th-century buildings, it’s like time traveling for the day.  The Billing’s land has been farm since 1871. It wasn’t until 1983, that it became open to the public as both a working dairy farm and a museum. Now the Billings staff looks forward to over 56,000 visitors each year, including 6000 school children on field trips.

Visitors who want to travel into the past can view the farm life exhibits that tell the story of rural life in Vermont. The 1890’s farmhouse and creamery, for example, has a working wood stove in the kitchen where visitors can learn first hand about the foods and techniques of wood stove cooking in the 19th century – and at the desk of the farm manager you can see correspondence that shows what it took to run a farm in that age.

2018 is the 35th anniversary of when this working farm became a museum and educational center; it is the perfect occasion for a party. . . a historic party.

Billings Farm and Museum is celebrating its 35th anniversary on June 24th with entertainment and activities tied to its origins in the 19th century. Admission is free that day and so is the fun.

There will be the baseball game using 1860s rules – a tradition at Billings Farm. If you aren’t sure what that means, be sure to read this.  Feel free to join in on the game or just sit back and enjoy.

 

During this anniversary celebration, there will be activities throughout the day including a chance to make hand-cranked ice cream, a name the calf contest, farm animal parade, Jersey cow selfies, and birthday cookies with ice-cold lemonade. And what is a party without a magic show.  A magician will be performing magic tricks in the style of the 19th-century magician Richard Potter, who performed magic in the New England area from 1811 – 1835.

During the special events of the day, visitors can meet the newest additions to Billings Farm, Huck, and Finn. These two new working steers are both American Milking Devons. When they first arrived as Billings, Huck escaped and decided to go on a grand tour of Woodstock.

Children’s illustrator and author Kristina Rodanas was inspired to write and illustrate her new book about Huck and his adventures in Woodstock. Kristina will have readings of her “Huck’s Way Home” during the day.

To cap it off, don’t forget to enjoy a scoop of ice cream as you place your bets and watch a Milk-Off between Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts and Billings Executive Director Dan Simmons.

Billings Farm and Museum is a special place in the Green Mountain State.  Be sure to join in on the celebration June 24th and if you can’t make it this weekend, be sure to come visit some other time during the summer! 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

There are certain times of the year that are extra special and Vermont strawberry season is one of those times. It’s the first fruit to ripen in the spring (Rhubarb is a vegetable after all). It is a fruit that heralds the end of school and the beginning of summer freedom.

There is nothing like strawberry shortcake made with berries still warm from the sun and fresh cream from a local dairy (You know the one. It’s just down the road)  Did you know that pairing strawberries & cream was created by Thomas Wolsey in the court of Henry the VIII?  It has been a great pairing ever since, and you can find that classic combination at the many Vermont strawberry festivals happening in June.

Sam Mazza’s Farm Stand, Colchester

For the last 22 years, Sam Mazza’s farm stand has been holding its annual Strawberry Festival. Families attend yearly to enjoy all sorts of dishes devoted to the noble strawberry – Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Donuts,   Strawberry Milkshakes, Strawberry Fudge, Chocolate Fudge Dipped  Strawberries… There’s fun and games for the whole family including pony rides, a petting zoo, and Joey the clown.

Saturday, June 23, 2018 11am – 4pm

Wellwood Orchards Strawberry Festival, Springfield

 

The Third annual Strawberry Festival at Wellwood Orchards will be a day of music, fun for the kids, tractor rides, and of course strawberries. Visitors can plan a picnic to take in the beautiful views, shop at the country store and peruse the vendors who will be setting up for the day. And of course, there will be strawberries to pick. Don’t forget to bring your camera. 

Saturday, June 23rd,  10 am – 3 pm

Annual Middletown Springs Strawberry Festival

Middletown Springs 

The Middletown Springs Historical Society has been presenting the strawberry festival for over 43 years.  The festival features delicious strawberry shortcake made with fresh local strawberries, homemade biscuits, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Local artists and craftspeople will be displaying and selling their work. musicians will join the festivities. Acoustic music and children’s activities. 

Sunday, June 24, 2 pm  – 4 pm 

Burke Strawberry Festival, East Burke

East Burke Village’s Annual Strawberry Festival in East Burke Village is a family-friendly tradition that happens every year in the village when the berries are ripe and ready for picking. There will be live music and kids games on the green. Market Café will be there to serve up burgers and more with, as always, lots of locally produced items included on the menu. And, of course, there will be lots of strawberry shortcake! 

Friday, June 29, 2018, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

 

 

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

The Wellwood Orchards’ Pick Your Own operation offers beautiful sweeping views from its hilltop location in Springfield, a chance to gather carefully grown fruit high-quality ingredients for cooking projects. Now is the time, to gather an opportunity to catch to gather fleeting fruits like strawberries in bulk and preserve them for the rest of the year.

Wellwood Orchards also offers something else very, very important: a way to keep your kids entertained (or your grandkids, or nieces, nephews, young cousins, your friends’ kids . . . you get the idea).

The Wellwood Strawberry Festival happens June 23rd this year. It’s one of two festivals at Wellwood that regularly draw a crowd – the other is Customer Appreciation in the fall. It’s is a true festival atmosphere, too, with activities for all ages. Live music, childrens’ games, face painting, petting zoo, local craft vendors, prepared foods, and other local businesses.  

While the activity on festival days may be particularly energetic, Wellwood Orchards is a great destination across the growing season. They have over 100 acres of apples (primarily), strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, plums, pears, peaches, and have even started cultivating table grapes.

All of their fruit gets sold as Pick Your Own or in the Country Store, they manage the farm. The store offers many products from local producers, and even though it’s expanded three times in recent memory there’s so much good food to feature that the owners are contemplating expanding again. There are wagon rides in apple season. Plus, for 50-cents, kids (and adults) can visit the petting zoo that operates through the summer.

Wellwood Orchards is open seven days a week during the season. Be sure to stop by the country store and take the kiddos to visit the petting zoo.

The Wellwood Orchard Strawberry Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 12 – 3.

 

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Tucked into an old general store in the center of Groton village, you’ll find the Artesano Mead tasting room, but did you know it’s also home to Artesano Ice Cream? Mead makers Mark Simakaski and his wife Nichole Wolfgang both completed the famous Penn State ice cream program years ago, and have been making small batch seasonal ice cream in addition to their honey wine for the past 10 years.  

From the spring flavors of rhubarb and strawberries to the fall flavors of apples and pumpkin, Artesano ice cream is the purest taste of the season.  Using local ingredients, honey from Vermont beekeepers, milk and cream from Hatchland Farm (12 miles away), and fruit from Vermont farmers allows for the freshest flavors.

Their flavors change day to day depending on what’s in season and available.  Their newest ice cream uses Aronia berries (a dark purple berry native to North America) which offers a tart counterpoint to the sweet rounded flavor of the sweet cream.

As the season changes, look for strawberry sage, and a customer favorite, the Bees Knees, which is peanut butter ice cream with a honey caramel swirl (think of the classic honey and peanut butter sandwich). If you are a fan of classics  like vanilla, chocolate, and maple, rest assured you’ll find those flavors too, in their purest form.  

Mark says they have no plans to expand “. . . it’s fun at this scale.” And the next time you visit the cozy village of Groton,  you’ll taste how much fun ice cream can be. Ice cream is available by the scoop, or packed into pint and quart to go containers.

The ice cream shop is open from late May through the beginning of October.

The Mead tasting room is open Wed – Sun; 12:00pm – 8:00pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day 
Thurs – Sun; 12:00pm – 6:00pm, Labor Day to Columbus Day, and Saturdays Only; 11:00am – 4:00pm, after Columbus Day to New Year’s.

 

Do you have a favorite ice cream spot? Drop us a line at DigInVT@vermontfresh.net

 

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

 

The transition from indoor winter markets to the outdoor markets is always exciting. The weather is warmer, the trees are blossoming, and everything is turning from the dull brown of mud season to the bright green of late Spring. Although some start earlier, Memorial Day Weekend is really the official start of the outside season for Vermont farmers markets;  it’s time to visit our favorite market, enjoy the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season, meet friends, and soak up the lively atmosphere.

The outdoor market season is also a great excuse for a day trip – a chance to explore a town and its environs starting with the food, crafts, and treats at their local farmers market. We’ll highlight favorite day trips throughout the season (and encourage readers to send their suggestions, too!). Here are a few to get you started.

First things First

No matter where you decide to go, don’t forget to bring a cooler with ice packs. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it, you never know when you’ll find that perfect cheese – and that isn’t conducive to sitting in a hot car as you’re out sightseeing. Also, many markets and towns have special events planned during the summer so before you go, be sure to check out the market’s website or social media (linked from their Place pages)  to pick the best weekend for your visit. Or, of course, check the DigInVT calendar of events for other special food happenings near by.  

Waitsfield

Make plans to see  the Mad River Valley in the summer. The Norwich Farmers Market on the green brings out the community. Families, couples, kids, dogs…they are all there for a morning of music, food, and farms. Grab a slice of wood fired oven pizza for a picnic while listening to the band of the week.

Right across from the market is The Kitchen at The Store where you can take a cooking class and shop for kitchen supplies and specialty food items – a great place to find gifts for your favorite cook.

This is also your chance to visit the Mad River Taste Place, a learning center, tasting gallery, retail store, and gathering place focused on local, artisan food and drink. Images, text, and video tell stories of individual producers. Their walk-in cooler offers the best collection of Vermont beverages around, as carefully curated as their cheese counter.  

The Taste Place also offers a chance to sample local distillers, and if you want a more in depth experience, make reservations in advance for a Mad River Distillers – Warren Distillery tour and tasting.

For dinner visit the original American Flatbread at Lareau Farm, very laid back and very delicious. (Protip: Put your name in at 4pm, grab a beer and relax outside while you wait for your table).

Where to stay: If you’d like to make this an overnight excursion, The Lareau farm where American Flatbread is located is also an inn. You can also stay at Inn at the Round Barn. Both offer a great place to stay with food that showcases the local food of the valley.

Norwich

From the Mad River Valley to the Upper Valley of the Connecticut River:  the Norwich Farmers Market in historic Norwich, Vermont brings together vendors from both sides of the river (for those not from around here: we call the other side of the river “New Hampshire”). The vendors offer a large variety of jams, fruit and vegetables, wild mushrooms, local meat, cheese, flowers and yarn from local sheep.

Right down the road is the King Arthur Flour Bakery and Store.  If you bake, you’ll be able to find anything you need at the store – from specialty flours, to cake pans, to chocolate and even a busy schedule of cooking classes in their state of the art teaching facility; it is heaven on earth for home bakers and pros alike.  Both small kids and big kids will enjoy the nearby Montshire Museum and its walking paths.

If you’re still hungry after visiting the market (and perhaps grabbing a pastry at King Arthur), there are a lot of great options. The closest is Norwich Inn, in the heart of the village next to the market. You can visit for Saturday brunch or go downstairs and grab a seat at Jasper Murdock’s alehouse, for pub fare and their ever changing menu of beers brewed in-house.

Norwich is a quick drive away from both Woodstock and White River Junction, an area with a rapidly expanding local food scene – be sure to check the latest restaurant listings and special menus on DigInVT.

While exploring the larger region, try a visit to the Billings farm and museum for a taste of historic farm life, or taking a shopping trip to Quechee’s Simon Pearce glassworks gallery (co-located with their elegant Simon Pearce) restaurant. If you didn’t pick up quite enough food items at the Farmers Market, Cabot Creamery also offers  .

Where to Stay: For a refined bed and breakfast experience make a reservation to stay at the Jackson House Inn. Or for a unique lodging experience on a small working farm, visit Fat Sheep Farm and Cabins which is located on 60 acres in Hartland.

Brattleboro

Further down the Connecticut River, the Brattleboro Area Farmers Market features over fifty vendors of hand-made crafts, agricultural products and prepared food. This market is a snapshot of Southern Vermont farms and food producers in a town known for its offbeat food culture, including the world famous Strolling of the Heifers downtown cow parade and community fair.

After the market, if the kids want to get a little more farm time in, they can visit Retreat Farm, with children’s activities, a forest playground, 180 year old historic farmstead on 500 acres devoted to  education, recreation, and farming.

Adults may want to take some time along the southern portion of the Vermont Beer Trail – stopping by the Hermit Thrush Brewery, McNeill’s Pub and Brewery, and Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery, and Beer Naked Brewery in nearby Marlboro, for a mini-tour of favorite Brattleboro area brews (did you know there’s a Vermont Brewery Challenge from the VT Brewers Association? For those who are serious about exploring the state’s beer options).

Vermont yarn is serious business. If you are one of the fiber folk and like to search out new and interesting yarns, Green Mountain Spinnery is 15 minutes up the road. Begun 30 years ago, this cooperatively owned spinnery stays true to their original mission: to create yarns of the highest quality, to help sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers.

Where to Stay:  Scott Farm in Dummerston is an amazing apple orchard full of historic and heirloom apple varieties, that also offers historic rentals, including Naulakha – the house where Rudyard Kipling wrote the Jungle Book.

No matter where you decide to go or which farmers market to visit, you will always discover something new. Whether it is a new favorite cheese, or a farm that grows a hard to find fruit, the first step is to find a map of Vermont and look for a spot you’ve never visited. Because that is the first place you should go.

Do you have a day trip you’d like to suggest? Let us know at diginvt@vermontfresh.net

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

Growing up in Taipei as the youngest in the family, Chiuho Duval never had to cook. There was always someone cooking at home and right outside her door, the streets were lined with the world’s most enticing street food scene. Chiuho’s food memories from the time are vivid, she described a favorite – rice pouches stuffed with bbq pork, chicken or egg  “I remember buying them on chilly mornings, tucking it in my pocket to warm my hands up and nibbling the whole way to school.”

Chiuho’s love for her native cuisine was strong, but it never led her to the kitchen. Instead, she headed to college to study journalism not knowing how to boil an egg. What inspired her to finally pursue culinary arts? “I just had to know if I could cook,” she shared. At age 30, Chiuho left a successful journalism career and her home to travel across the world for culinary school in Montpelier, Vermont. It was here where she linked up with Steve Bogart, the owner of one of the region’s most renowned Chinese farm to table restaurants – A Single Pebble. Chiuho was nervous about the job at first, never having cooked her native cuisine before, but her instincts and talents led to success. “I learned to cook Chinese food in English,” she laughed. Only a few years into her career at A Single Pebble, Chiuho became a business partner and then the full owner in 2008. 

Now, 10 years later, Chiuho is bringing it full circle to unleash the foods of her childhood on the streets of Vermont from her new food truck. Some things will be familiar to the devoted Single Pebble customers – and the focus on local sourcing will continue in the mobile version. Dishes like scallion pancakes with crispy chicken, Dan Dan Noodles with smoked pork belly (from Chef Chiuho’s own pigs), the little stuffed rice pouches from her memory, and whole braised and tempura-fried “caveman” style LaPlatte beef ribs. Chef Chiuho refers to the truck as a mobile kitchen because it’s fully equipped with the firepower needed to prepare her signature dishes – she had it tricked out with custom wok stoves and steamers. This is huge for A Single Pebble catering where the restaurants signature dishes like dry-fried green beans and mock-eel are often requested but can fall short without the right equipment to prepare them. Now, the food truck can bring all the delights of the restaurant straight to your event. 

You can kick off the food truck season with Chef Chiuho at Foam Brewers tomorrow from 5 pm – 9 pm when she starts their Friday night Foam residency! The truck will make many Burlington lunch-hour appearances, and will hit the road for festivals and events across the state. Check out the calendar to track them down! A Single Pebble restaurant is also a must-visit restaurant in Vermont – make a reservation when you come to town! There may be construction happening across the street, but A Single Pebble remains open, providing one of Burlington’s most delicious oases.  

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails