CT’s Husky Meadows Farm Offers Farm-to-Fork Experiences This Fall

Arrive at Husky Meadows Farm in Norfolk and you’ll likely be greeted by their unofficial valet, a very vocal gray cat named Maxwell.

He won’t help carry luggage, but he will point out the direction of Seed & Spoon, the central hub of farm stays on the 300-acre farm. Catch a glimpse of the vast fields of flowers and you may want to frolic among the flowers with the pollinating bees. Especially if you take part in a special workshop that includes a farm stay, cooking classes and food picked straight from the garden.

Sometimes that might mean harvesting side by side in the fields or hearing about life on the farm. This extends to the forest on the property. “Visitors don’t just visit an organic farm; they stay in an ecosystem,” Hayhurst said. “The forest, wildlife habitat and pollination are all interconnected and influence what happens in our gardens. » The takeaway for those staying on the farm? “During their stay, guests discover the passion and stewardship behind an agricultural lifestyle,” Hayhurst said.

Wanting to bring local dinners and cooking classes to the community, Husky Meadows began plans for a multi-purpose kitchen in 2019 and a country inn component, Seed & Spoon, was created.

Seed & Spoon features four dedicated accommodations, including an apartment above a garage, two suites in the main building and a detached cabin, an old chicken coop transformed with luxury ornaments and a chicken portrait in honor of the beginnings modest of the building. Ideally cozy (there are even Smeg mini-fridges), the rooms invite you to relax with a good book or play a board game.

There are no one-off bookings for weekends. Instead, the farm has stayed true to its original intention of teaching people about organic food and cooking. Bookings are therefore only available in conjunction with workshops.

Hayhurst oversees Seed & Spoon’s programming and said most workshops take place over a weekend, with guests arriving on a Friday evening to become familiar with the property and meet over a welcome dinner at the communal table of the farm. Saturday morning is breakfast – think scones, quiches, evening oatmeal, prosciutto egg cups and fresh fruit. Guests then head out into the fields with a farmer to learn the ins and outs of organic production. After a lunch made with ingredients directly from the fields, it’s time to explore and hike.

Saturday dinner begins with a cooking class. “In the past we’ve done things like pasta workshops,” Hayhurst said. “But the meal includes everything from soup to nuts: appetizers, soups, salads, a main course and dessert.” All that gardening and cooking together forms fast friendships. “People come in on Friday night not knowing each other, then on Saturday night they talk about it.” The workshops end with a Sunday brunch. There is no rush to check, and persistence is encouraged.

Many workshops are in preparation for this fall. From Friday September 22 to Sunday September 24, an Orchard Farm Stay will take place. Along the route, you’ll harvest plums, pears, and apples from the orchard under the tutelage of farm manager Brett Ellis, former culinary gardener at Northern California’s famed French Laundry restaurant. Hayhurst then guides guests in transforming the harvest’s bounty into cider, donuts and tarts, as well as a hard cider tasting.

A fall art intensive led by Marie-Colette Dupont-Nivet is scheduled for October 12-14. The French artist specializes in using milk paints on wooden panels and furniture. Workshop participants will create wooden crates using Dupont-Nivet techniques for pigment graining, marbling, painting, glazing, varnishing and waxing. French cuisine is on the weekend menu, with a Sunday dinner inspired by Claude Monet’s Giverny.

October 20-22 is a harvest celebration, with an emphasis on preparing hearty meals for winter from Husky Meadows’ fall harvest. Pure relaxation comes as you walk under the fall foliage or sit by the fire and listen to a ditty played on the main gathering area’s Carl Dudash-built harpsichord.

Husky Meadows has not always been a certified organic farm. When David Low and his family purchased the former dairy farm in the 1990s, their pet dogs fell in love with the property, hence the meaning of the farm’s nickname. The Lows originally intended the farm to be a summer getaway with a small garden plot.

Over the years, this plot has become an organic community farm filled with greenhouses. A community supported agriculture (CSA) program quickly joined the mix. When COVID hit, the number of CSA subscribers tripled. These days, Husky Meadows is no longer a farmers’ market. Instead, people are invited to visit the property’s farm stand (open May through October; Fridays and Saturdays) to purchase their choice of produce and prepared meals.