By SCOTT MERZBACH Daily Hampshire Gazette Published: 5/12/2020 HADLEY — Taking tentative and seemingly nervous steps, six heifers had a new experience awaiting them Tuesday morning as they jumped from a trailer into the pasture where they will be spending the next few months. Only moments after their hooves hit the grass, though, the young … Read more
Pasture Day is personally my favorite event of the year. It marks the start of spring and is a true community event in my neighborhood. Usually Pasture Day is the first Saturday in May. Visitors enjoy frolicking cows, live music, farm tours, loads of ice cream, and maybe a few grass stains from playing/rolling on … Read more
Today is Pasture Day! And like the spring this year, it’s coming a little late. Pasture Day, an annual community event typically the first Saturday in May, has been rescheduled and reworked to meet best practices for safe social distancing in the time of COVID19. Barstow’s Longview Farm will release several cows onto pasture in … Read more
Big news! The nesting bald eagles in the meadow have not one, not two, but THREE eaglets in the nest! We are so happy for the proud parents! *A quick reminder that the meadow is private property* A recent bird count in the meadow also accounted for the species listed below. A great reminder that … Read more
Today was supposed to be Pasture Day… But it’s been added to the long list of events across the nation postponed, canceled, or changed as we know them. But because we need some things to stay the same, some things to look forward to, and some things to celebrate; the theme of this blog post … Read more
A birder did a recent survey of the upper and lower meadow for a spring bird count. In some non-COVID19 related news, check out the species that he saw right here in Hockanum Meadow! Please note that the Hockanum Meadow is private property and the birder who completed this survey secured permission from all landowners … Read more
By Jim Kinney | April 7, 2020 MassLive At the 100-acre Calabrese fruit and vegetable farm in Southwick, the sweet corn is planted. Normally not a remarkable occurrence on a farm in April. But with the coronavirus and efforts to stop its spread disrupting nearly every aspect of every life, it’s remarkable that this one … Read more
By Jim Kinney | April 5, 2020 The Republican Dairy cattle naturally produce more milk in April than at other times of the year, a phenomenon called the “spring flush” that harkens back to the natural reproductive cycle. “It’s life as usual on the farm,” said Denise Barstow, a seventh-generation farmer and education and marketing … Read more
This week is National Ag Week. It feels appropriate and uplifting for American agriculture to be deemed “essential” this week by the federal government amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. In honor of National Ag Week – (and in honor of being trapped inside homeschooling / working from the living room), here are some of our … Read more
The sixth grade class from Foote Elementary School in New Haven, CT asked Denise Barstow some questions about Barstow’s Longview Farm. Check out their great questions and Denise’s answers! *note, names have been changed* Read all about this farm to school connection here! (Joseph) What is the approximate ratio of the weight of a cow … Read more