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
Due to the ongoing health emergency, the Barstow family has decided to postpone Pasture Day and make it a virtual event. Pasture Day is one of our most popular events, and we suspect that even with social distancing guidelines in play, the advanced announcement of a rescheduled event will inevitably contribute to gathering. In an … Read more
Cindy Raymond recently discovered that dairy farming is packed with great math lessons—and she’s milking it for all it’s worth. Last summer, Cindy, who teaches Middle School math, visited her daughter Anli (Foote Class of 2015) at Mt. Holyoke College. They stopped by Barstow’s Longview Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts for lunch and ice cream at the dairy … Read more
2020 Pioneer Valley Regional Agricultural Conference on January 18th from 9am to noon at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton. This is a free event. Doors open at 8:30am. The snow date is on January 25th at the same time and place. Farmers, foresters, landowners, landscapers and others will have the opportunity … Read more
PBS News Hour November 29, 2019 Watch: How these Massachusetts farmers are turning manure and food waste into power Transcript Judy Woodruff: In the final episode of our special series this week on food waste, we look at some innovative solutions being developed to deal with the growing problem of spoiled and surplus food in … Read more