November Bus Tour – 2008

Farm Fresh’s November 2008 Bus Tour in the New England States
Date: Sunday, November 9 to Thursday, November 13

Summary: This was Farm Fresh’s 25th tour. Since 1987, we have been touring markets, pick-your-own operations, entertainment farms, some related businesses, and some “just plain fun” places.

This year, the Bus Tour featured Massachusetts with some stops in Vermont and New Hampshire. Here’s a few of the hot spots that were visited on our way through these New England states.

• Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT – www.shelburnefarms.com
  Shelburne Farms is a membership-supported, nonprofit, environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It was created in 1886 and their nearly 400 acres of sustainably managed woodlands received Green Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council in 1998.
• Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, Montpelier, VT – www.morsefarm.com
  The Morse ancestors who helped settle Central Vermont were taught how to tap maple trees by Native Americans. With all the experience, nowadays, Morse Farm does an excellent job with bus tours, especially in the fall when people come to view the gorgeous colours.
• Grafton Village Cheese Company, Brattleboro, VT – www.graftonvillagecheese.com
  Grafton Village Cheese, headquartered in Grafton, Vt. handcrafts artisanal-aged cheddar cheese that is recognized for its quality and taste on a worldwide scale.
• Atkins Farms Country Market, South Amherst, MA – www.atkinsfarms.com
  Atkins Family has been growing apples for over 100 years. Their market over the last 45 years has expanded from a small shed to today’s 25,000 square foot building.
• Wilson Farms, Lexington MA – www.wilsonfarm.com
  The farm stand was founded in 1884 and today, you’ll find that all five of the first vegetables grown here are still being harvested, and the beloved chickens at Wilson’s are still in residence. The farm stand is now open year-round, and is twice “Best of Boston” winner.
• Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry NH – www.stonyfield.com
  They started on a farm in Wilton, New Hampshire, in the early ‘80s, and they’re now the world’s leading organic yogurt-maker. Their organic yogurts, smoothies, soy-yogurts, ice cream and milk are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and colleges nationwide.
  Also, they’re still working to promote sustainable agriculture, and protect and restore the environment.
• Smolak Farms, North Andover MA – www.smolakfarms.com
  Smolak Farms of North Andover combines agriculture, education, and entertainment in a very special way. Visitors come to pick fruit from their orchards and shop at the farm stand and bakery featuring their famous apple cider donuts and mouth-watering pies.
• Tuttle Red Barn Farm Stand, Dover NH – www.tuttlesredbarn.net
  The Tuttle Farm of Dover, New Hampshire, is the oldest continually-operating family farm in the United States. Over the years, the Barn was modified and enlarged a number of times, eventually remaining open year-round, with produce brought in from outside in the off season.