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 .