Customer Appreciation Day is happening on Brooksby Farm Saturday, July 19 from 11am-3pm. There will be wagon rides through the orchards, an old time corn boil, food tastings, tractors to climb on and a children’s coloring contest.
Here are two links of interest:
Brooksby Farm
Q&A: On the farm with Brooksby’s new manager from The Salem News
When you think of the City of Peabody, Massachusetts, what comes to mind? The hectic pace of the sprawling North Shore Mall? The ethnic music and food of the weekend-long block party known as the Peabody International Festival that closes off the entire downtown every September? How about a large, old-fashioned, working New England farm, where visitors can pick their own produce, buy home-made pies and jams, hike a network of trails and meet friendly sheep, emus, llamas, turkeys, peacocks and pigs?
Brooksby Farm is a 275 acre site owned and maintained by the City of Peabody. It is tucked away, unexpectedly yet conveniently, on a side street just behind the North Shore Mall. Leaving Route 128 and heading west along the heavy-traffic of Route 114, take the first left after the mall entrance onto Cross Street. As the shopping area passes by on the left, go through one traffic light and keep an eye out for a large but faded sign pointing right to Brooksby Farm on Felton Street. The neighborhood quickly turns residential, then the double yellow line in the road disappears and stately maple trees and ancient stone walls line the road. Large, rambling farmhouses, a big red barn, and even an antique firehouse come into view, and suddenly, you’ve left the 21st century behind for an earlier, more relaxed way of life. Beautiful rolling fields, pastures and orchards stretch as far as you can see to the distant hills, and it is easy to forget that the immediate surrounding area is completely urbanized. During this time of year (mid-June) visitors are greeted with the smell of wild roses blooming along the farm borders. One can only imagine the sight and scent of the orchards in full bloom during the month of May.
June is strawberry month, and signs point the way to fields where visitors can pick their own juicy, sweet, flavorful strawberries. Weekday picking time ends at 1:00pm, but the fields are open until 4:00pm on weekends. It had been many years since I’ve last picked my own, and I had forgotten how amazing fresh-picked strawberries could taste. I was concerned that my two-and-a-half-year-old might accidentally trample the crops or grow bored, but I was thrilled by the way his eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “Strawberries! MMMMMMMM!” He quickly became an expert strawberry picker and learned to pick only the red ones, happily filling his own pint provided by the farm stand.
The small barnyard alone is enough of a draw for the children. While the farm store provides animal feed for visitors, there are signs to remind everyone that these animals are not pets and can be unpredictable in their behavior. Still, what great fun to watch the children squeal and laugh in delight as the animals chomp down food that the children had brought themselves!
Picnic areas are provided indoors and outdoors. The store sells many varieties of jams, ground flour mixes, home-made treats, drinks, candles and tee-shirts among other things. If you don’t have time to pick your own fruit, the produce of the month may be purchased here.
Some of the other buildings on the site are maintained by the Peabody Historical Society and are available for tours and can be rented for special events. Call 978-531-0805 or visit www.peabodyhistorical.org for more information.
Keep an eye out for special upcoming events. Customer Appreciation Day is happening on Saturday, July 19 from 11am-3pm. There will be wagon rides through the orchards, an old time corn boil, food tastings, tractors to climb on and a children’s coloring contest. July is blueberry and raspberry season, and in the fall, the orchards are open for apple and peach picking, and the pumpkin patch is ripe for Halloween. During the winter, cross-country skiing and sledding are encouraged. More information about Brooksby Farm can be found at http://www.peabody-ma.gov/brooksby.aspx See you there!