Hockanum Day 2018

The Hockanum Rural Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, is a rural community encompassing a classically famous landscape along the Connecticut River in Hadley, Massachusetts.  The fertile farmland and quiet village is home to families that have been here for generations. On Hockanum Day, meet, discuss, and learn about … Read more

Summary of the 2018 Dairy Crisis: a MA Dairy Farmer Perspective

American dairy farmers are struggling.  At this point, this should be news to no one.  It is mentioned on every news station from NPR to Fox.  But nobody is doing a very good job of explaining why they are struggling or what could in fact be done about it. There’s a lot of things going … Read more

Barstow’s 10 Year Anniversary

Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery celebrates our 10th Anniversary in 2018! Amidst a crashing milk market and a struggling economy in the early 2000s, the Barstow’s were faced with a choice, get out of agriculture, or diversify. And with that challenge laid out in front of us, we sat down as a family to discuss … Read more

National Poinsettia Day

You can pick out poinsettias and also cyclamen at Barstow’s to celebrate Poinsettia Day or to simply brighten up your home for the holidays!  They make a great gift too! Read more about the history of poinsettias on the Barstow Blog.

National Poinsettia Day

Happy National Poinsettia Day! Don’t believe us, just Google it! December 12 marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US Minister of Mexico, who is credited with introducing the native Mexican plant to the United States in 1825.  By an Act of Congress, December 12 was set aside as National Poinsettia Day. The … Read more

The Star

This Sunday afternoon, the lighted star rose to the top of the silo on Barstow’s Longview Farm.  The star shines over the barnyard for December as the Barstows’ way of saying: happy holidays, Merry Christmas, we are thankful to be a part of this community. The star has been a holiday tradition on the farm … Read more

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! 2017 brought a lot to be thankful for!  Like a good crop year and a drought free summer.  We are thankful for our healthy and productive herd of 557.  We are thankful for the new anaerobic digester engine, bringing more green energy to the grid and soon more recycled heat to our homes … Read more

Art in Hockanum

Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery hosts a Featured Artist on our walls to give us new and lovely perspectives on the beautiful Pioneer Valley we call home. But art has been part of this area’s history. The spectacular views of the Connecticut River valley from Mount Holyoke, the mountain located just behind Barstow’s Longview Farm, … Read more

Local Traditions are Made in the Kitchen: Hadley’s Asparagus Supper

May 26, 2017 Story by Mary Reilly, Photography by Elaine Papa Edible pioneer valley Hadley grass is responsible for one of my springtime traditions: nearly getting rear-ended as I see a farm stand and brake for the first bunch of the season. A more longstanding local asparagus-based tradition is the First Congregational Church of Hadley’s … Read more

Hockanum Flood Sign

Hockanum Village is in a 100-year flood-plain. While this contributes to fertile soil, it also means this area has gone through some very extreme flooding.  During heavy, extensive rain and during rapid snow melt in the north, the Connecticut River floods and the fields and sometimes even roads are inundated. You can visit the Hockanum … Read more

Signup for Barstow's monthly newsletter