Barstow's Anniversary Party

In case you're looking for a great way to spend the day tomorrow, here's an idea to get you started:

 

The ice cream is delicious, the cows are mighty, and farm tour is interesting and informative -- a highly recommended event for the family!

Barstow's Burger Fest 2012

Just a few weekends ago, Mr Madley and I enjoyed participation in the Barstow Longview Farm's 4th anniversary celebration.  It was a hot day, so we got ourselves a nice cold milkshake (the milkshake of the month was strawberry cake batter) and then hitched a ride on the wagon to tour the farm.  Barstow's is a dairy and beef farm -- thus, they have lots of cows.  The farm tour began in one of the cow barns, with the pampered mothers-to-be; through that barn to the amazing compost piles and the corn silage, down to the milking-cows barn (where we saw some adorable day-old calves), out to the methane digester (which will provide lots of electricity by the time it's finished), and on to the new red young-calf barn.  Along the way questions were answered and stories were told, and I'm pretty sure everyone along for the tour enjoyed themselves.  After the tour we taste-tested Cabot cheeses, visited two of the ambassador cows (that's what I call them -- they're the friendly cows that frolic out in front of the farm), and enjoyed music by Appalachian Still.  There were also games and face painting and bubbles for the littler ones.


If you missed the birthday celebration and/or the weekly tours at the farm last month, don't despair!  Barstow's is having a big Burger Fest next week (Saturday, July 21) -- with their own beef, which is absolutely delicious -- and with more farm tours.  Plan to go; it will be worth it.

Hope to see you there!

For a wonderful short history and commentary on local farms, check out this quick video interview from Keep Local Farms with one of the Barstows .

Merry Dairy

A new farm store (&creamery) is coming to town.  It's the expansion of a dairy that I've mentioned before in admiration of its strawberry ice cream -- Maple Valley Creamery at Fort River Farm.  They are in the process of remodeling their barn to turn it into a farm store that will feature raw milk, ice cream, cheeses, yogurt, angus beef, local produce, and baked goods.
Perhaps you've seen their banner at the corner of South Maple and Mill Valley Roads; if you haven't check it out here and their website here.  (Just look at those beautiful Brown Swiss cows and that delicious looking cheese.)

Want a sampling?  Stop by Taste of Amherst this weekend -- they'll be there!  (You can also get their ice cream at Maple Farm Foods, Atkins Farms, and Barstow's Longview Farm.)

Coming Back Soon

I am pleased to announce that the forced leave of absence will soon be coming to an end -- thanks to the upcoming arrival of a new computer.  Much has transpired over these past few weeks, and I've been feeling fairly neglectful: the new Firestone construction is being built up on the Home Depot property, Mr Madley and I saw (what we think was) a coyote in our backyard at dusk one evening, there's a new member of the school board committee (Humera Fasihuddin), the soft-serve creamery on Rt 47 is open for business, and there's an online petition to make the street in front of the elementary school an actual "school zone," the garden has been planted with early spring vegetables (snap peas, broccoli, kale, onions), and spring has sprung (though today it may feel more like summer) -- there's a lot going on!
I hope to be back in full swing by sometime next week.  Looking forward to "seeing" you all here again!  Happy Patriots Day!
(Don't forget that taxes are due to be filed by tomorrow.)

Farm Stands, Ice Cream, and Asparagus -- oh my!

Spring brings out some of the best of the Valley -- the ice cream places that closed for the winter open up again, usually around mid-April, and shortly thereafter a few farm stands put out pussy willows while awaiting the first early crops of asparagus and strawberries.  Hadley asparagus, or Hadley grass as it's known, has a reputation far and wide of being superb asparagus -- and it definitely stands up to its reputation.
Find out more about Hadley farm stands, local ice creameries, and Hadley grass on the new permanent pages to the right.

Ice Cream In January

It's the coldest day of the year so far, so I figured this was a perfect day to post this.  (No, this is not a recipe for snow ice cream.)

For some reason I start craving ice cream during the coldest months of the year.  It's kind of sad, seeing I'm always cold during the winter and most of the ice cream shops are closed.  I resort to take-home ice cream of the packaged variety.  Saturday was grocery day and on my list was ice cream, but I was only visiting two stores, so the pressure was on.

Trader Joe's didn't do it for me, so I passed up the frozen food aisle in hopes of finding something at Maple Farm Foods.  There I hit the jackpot and brought home a 1/2 gallon of Berry Best Strawberry by Maple Valley Ice Cream Company.
Ingredients?  Local milk & cream, sugar, native strawberries, natural stabilizers.
Reaction?  A spontaneous "yummm!"
Verdict?  Delicious

This ice cream is not syrupy or goopy; it is not bright fake pink; it is not overly sweet or overflavoured; it has a smooth crystally texture; it is light and fresh; and, it actually tastes like strawberries and cream, which in my opinion is a fabulous combination.
Not a strawberry ice cream fan?  There are many other varieties to choose from, so there's bound to be at least one to tempt your taste buds.
This is good stuff.