Stay 2 midweek nights and receive 3 $10 Gift Certificates
($30) to spend at our local farm produce & gift shops. Your farm adventure will take you to 3 active
working farms:
Ioka Valley Farm, http://iokavalleyfarm.com/
Sweet Brook Farm, http://www.sweetbrookfarm.mybigcommerce.com/
Cricket Creek Farm, http://cricketcreekfarm.com/
You will witness live animals and the products derived from
them, fresh foods being grown & harvested, and farm stores where you may
purchase locally grown maple products, artisanal cheeses, breads & baked
goods, dairy products, honey, alpaca clothing & products, and many other
items.
Ioka Valley Farm
has been named one of the 1000 best attractions in Massachusetts Commonwealth
of Massachusetts Massachusetts
Check out their history page http://iokavalleyfarm.com/history/
for some background about this family
farm.
Sweet Brook Farm
is located in South Williamstown and is home
to the Phelps family — Pete, Beth, Sarah, and Dan. They built a new house and barn on a portion
of the old Norris Phelps farm (Pete’s
dad) in 2005 – 2007. Norris Phelps’
grandfather, Cassius Phelps, started Sweet Brook Farm long ago. The Phelps’ dreamed of this homestead for 20
years before finally making their dream become a reality.
After the house and barn were constructed, the first alpacas
took up residence in the barn in the fall of 2007. Research on what type of livestock to raise
led to the discovery of alpacas which were not used as meat animals but for
their beautiful, soft fleece, docile nature, and manageable size and upkeep.
Check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SweetBrookFarm
and their photo albums at https://www.facebook.com/SweetBrookFarm?sk=photos
Cricket Creek Farm
is one of the oldest active dairy farms in the region. In 2001, the Phelps
family put Cricket Creek Farm up for sale, and the Sabot family, concerned
about the development of the largest farm in Williamstown, explored options for
protecting the land. By 2002 the purchase was complete and work was started on
a plan for moving forward. Since much of the land was in Agricultural
Protection, it had to be maintained as a working farm. After visiting Shelburne
Farms in Northern Vermont , a decision was made
to continue with dairy farming, add cheese making and an educational component.
Check out their history page http://www.cricketcreekfarm.com/?page=history
for some background about this family farm.
