Great Outdoors

Come and Feed Your Hungry Heart

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 Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen’s gourmet dinner is this month. Preparations are in progress for another fun evening with a gourmet dinner, live music and the much-talked-about raffle and silent auction. All profits go to support Waste Not Want Not Community Kitchen in its 10th year of serving the community.This fifth annual Hungry Heart dinner will be on Saturday, Feb. 24, at St. Therese Parish Center Great Hall. Tickets are $45 per person, and the event hopes to be a sellout a […]

Great Outdoors

Adventures in Sustainable Eating

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By Alicia NewtonIn today’s society, people refuse to purchase produce due to a small bruise, scratch or deformity. Little do they know that the slightly imperfect food is just as delicious, if not better, than the pristine-looking food. Students concerned about the relationship between food sources and consumers have enrolled in From The Ground UP, a high school leadership program offered by Nourish My Soul a local nonprofit.  Examples of sushi and pumpkin miso soup prepared […]

Great Outdoors

Dinella-goats & pumpkins

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Photo by Peter Dinella Even goats love pumpkins Treats at Sweet Pea FarmAt the Hayes Farm (Sweet Pea) on East Street, the goats are the real winners on Halloween. No trick or treat here, only lots of treats one day later. […]

Great Outdoors

Granby’s support of agriculture ranks high in state

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By Shirley MurthaRepresenting Granby’s Agricultural Commission, chairman Michelle Niedermeyer distributed copies of the Planning for Agriculture publication assembled jointly by the American Farmland Trust and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to the Board of Selectmen at its October 2 meeting. Acknowledging the important contributions farming makes to many state communities in terms of quality of life, economy, preservation of land and leveraging federal and state grants, the a […]

Great Outdoors

At House of Hayes, the cows are milking themselves

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By Shirley MurthaIf you weren’t among the many visitors to the House of Hayes dairy farm (Sweet Pea Cheese) on Open Farm Day, you owe it to yourself to drive over to observe the new robotic milking process. Seemingly out of a science fiction novel, the cows now milk themselves 24/7, relieving the Hayes family of the chore that used to take 3 1/2 hours twice a day.It takes just a little training to teach the cows to enter the milking station, which they happily do repeatedly to enjoy the gr […]

Great Outdoors

Granby Agricultural Commission hosts Open Farm Day

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The Granby Agricultural Commission is sponsoring a free Open Farm Day on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Farms will open their gates to host demonstrations, tours, offer samples and more. Farmers will be onsite to greet visitors and answer any questions. Returning Farm Day attendees will be pleased to find old favorites such as the Hay Bale Toss at Maple View Farm and tractor rides at Lost Acres Orchard, and will also discover some new additions to the annual festivities. For the first […]

Great Outdoors

Maple View Farm — Granby’s #onestopshop for local food

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“Most people don’t realize we have so much land right here in the center of town. They see horses up front and watch us teaching lessons and summer camps, but they don’t realize we have 50 acres here, with about half in hay fields, pasture land and light woods,” said Kate Bogli, owner of Maple View Farm. “When you stop by our Farm Store it can be a little tricky to see all the animals as well.” That’s because the Boglis run a pastured-based livestock far […]

Great Outdoors

Wells Road enrichment clusters – the icing on the (cup)cake

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In the true spirit of the enrichment cluster model at Wells Road Intermediate School, six students have taken their Cluster experience to the next level. These students were a part of the Cupcake Boss cluster where they learned to make frosting, color it, and use various styling tips for different patterns. In addition, they learned how to mold fondant into decorations. Ultimately, they made and decorated cupcakes for the school staff.Students Nora Davis, Ali Dobbert, Bella Hassett, Sophia Karab […]

Great Outdoors

CSA for wine? You bet!

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By Shirley MurthaGranby is definitely a Community Supported Agriculture town, with many of its farms offering the convenience of weekly shares of vegetables. It wasn’t a big leap for Lost Acres Vineyard to apply the concept to the wine industry as well. Not that shareholders have to go out to pick the grapes and make the wine—all they have to do is sign up for the distribution.Members commit to buying two cases of wine (24 bottles), either of the wine-maker’s choice or customiz […]

Great Outdoors

Planting a pollinator garden

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There’s a new pollinator garden on the grounds of Cossitt Library thanks to local volunteers, Bosco’s Garden Center, and the Granby Department of Public Works. Look for more free library programs and workshops about gardening, pollinators and making better summer salads on the Granby Library’s websitewww.granby-ct.gov Photo by Holly Johnson […]