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Beyond The Fritter Blog

Turn Around, Bright Eyes, It’s a Partial Eclipse at The Farm

By Jennifer | January 7, 2024 |

April 8, 2024 will provide a rare opportunity for millions of Americans to observe one of the universe’s most dazzling displays: a total solar eclipse. “An astoundingly perfect black void sat where the sun had been, surrounded by a jagged white nimbus of light that nearly brought me to tears. This was the solar corona…

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Hello Winter! A Story Walk

By Jennifer | December 17, 2023 |

“…Winter fringes every boughWith his fantastic wreath,And puts the seal of silence nowUpon the leaves beneath…”-Thoreau The days are getting colder here on the farm and the winter darkness seems to be creeping in earlier and earlier. This is the time of year that wood is being chopped and stored in our cellar. Animals come…

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Hello Autumn!

By Jennifer | October 6, 2023 |

Autumn Yellow the bracken,Golden the sheaves.Rosy the apples,Crimson the leaves.Mist on the hillside,Clouds grey and white.Autumn, good morning!Summer good night! -Florence Hoatson The air is turning crisp and cool here at the Farm. The changing winds are a gentle reminder for us all to slow down after the busy summer months and relish the calm…

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Celebrating the 4th of July

By Jennifer | July 4, 2023 |

This post is an excerpt from Uncle Jim’s story, Celebrating the 4th of July, published in the New England Homestead, July 1969. Gone are the good old days of the Fourth of July. If a boy had fifty cents to spend, what a good time he could have! A package of small firecrackers was five cents…

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barn cupola at east hill farm

Ask a Farmer: Barn cupolas are not just for decoration.

By Jennifer | February 18, 2023 |

As I work with old barn preservation around the state, I get many inquiries from photographers and historians about the beauty and uniqueness of barn cupolas. These structures on top of barn roofs were more than decorations, they functioned as part of the ventilation system. Although hay is dry when it is put into the…

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Switchel: The Haymaker’s Punch

By Jennifer | July 24, 2022 |

Many guests this summer have been perplexed to find a new activity on the schedule called Drink Like a Farmer: Come make a refreshing switchel. What does drinking like a farmer even mean? And what is switchel?  The history of switchel dates back to the 1700s when farmers would drink “nature’s Gatorade” after a long…

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History of East Hill Farm: The 2010s and 2020s

By Jennifer | January 31, 2022 |

What a journey the past 74 years have been!  From the early days of housing only 30 guests, to our current capacity of 140, we have been fortunate to meet and make many lifelong friends that call East Hill Farm their home away from home.  You are truly our extended Farm family! The Inn at…

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History of East Hill Farm: The 2000s

By Jennifer | January 22, 2022 |

What a journey the past 74 years have been!  From the early days of housing only 30 guests, to our current capacity of 140, we have been fortunate to meet and make many lifelong friends that call East Hill Farm their home away from home.  You are truly our extended Farm family! The Inn at…

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History of East Hill Farm: The 1990s

By Jennifer | January 3, 2022 |

What a journey the past 74 years have been!  From the early days of housing only 30 guests, to our current capacity of 140, we have been fortunate to meet and make many lifelong friends that call East Hill Farm their home away from home.  You are truly our extended Farm family! The Inn at…

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History of East Hill Farm: The 1980s

By Jennifer | November 20, 2021 |

What a journey the past 74 years have been! From the early days of housing only 30 guests, to our current capacity of 140, we have been fortunate to meet and make many lifelong friends that call East Hill Farm their home away from home. You are truly our extended Farm family! The Inn at…

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