Monday, January 31, 2011

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm to Participate in 3rd Annual Local Harvest: Farms, Food, & Family

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ -   Fosterfields Living Historical Farm brings a sampling of its early 20th century farm life heritage, sustainable farming practices, and information about heritage breeds to visitors attending the 3rd Annual Local Harvest: Farms, Food, & Family on Saturday, February 12, (snow date: February 13) from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. at the Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Road, Morris Township, NJ. (Donations at the door are appreciated.

The event is sponsored by the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Slow Food, in partnership with the Morris County Park Commission. Visitors to the event may meet local farmers and food artisans, and sample and/or purchase various products while learning about supporting community-based agriculture. Additional parking will be available at Fosterfields where free shuttle buses will be available to transport visitors to and from the Cultural Center.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Slow Food’s important initiative to support sustainable agriculture by encouraging people to purchase their foodstuffs from local farmers and food artisans,” said Mark Texel, Director of Historic Sites, Morris County Park Commission. “This event gives Fosterfields the chance to make connections between its historic methods of growing vegetables, fruits, grains, and raising livestock in sustainable and humane ways with this time of renewed awareness in healthy eating and environmentally and ethically responsible farming practices.”

Additional displays about northern New Jersey’s agricultural past will be offered by the Morris County Historical Society. Visitors to the event can purchase seasonal vegetables and fruit, grass-fed and finished beef and pork, sustainably raised poultry, eggs, cheeses, breads, teas, and prepared foods from local growers and producers while learning about community-supported agriculture. They may also find out how to purchase seasonal farm shares at Genesis Farm in Blairstown, NJ, and Rogowski Farm in Warwick, NY. Participants in the event include Bob-O-Link Dairy and Bakeyard, Valley Shepherd Creamery, Appleridge Farm, and Best Fruit Farm. Also participating will be Arthur & Friends, an entrepreneurial training program for adults with disabilities, which sells locally grown organic, hydroponic greens.

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, located at 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown, NJ, 07960, reopens on Saturday, April 2, 2011. For more information about Fosterfields, please call 973-326-7645 or visit www.morrisparks.net.

For more information about the 3rd Annual Local Harvest: Farms, Food, & Family event, visit www.slowfoodnnj.org, or contact Margaret Noon at 908-654-3242; slowfoodnnj@yahoo.com.

For snow closing information, call 973-326-7645. 

Monday, January 24, 2011

New Art Classes at Community Children’s Museum in February

Sometimes it is too darn cold for the children to play outside. So here is a great indoor program:

The Community Children’s Museum is now offering creative and fun art classes for children K-2nd grade and for Preschoolers 3-5 years old starting in February at 77 East Blackwell St., Dover, NJ. The enthusiasm and knowledge of Courtney Maxwell, a Masters in Art Education, will inspire and excite the children for both classes. The Art Exploration Class for Kg-2nd graders will be held on Monday’s from 4-5pm and will have the children experimenting with paper making, print making, clay work and painting. At the end of the class they can display their great works of art in a group show at the museum’s art gallery. This process oriented, after school art class will bring Art Play back into children’s lives.  A child can sign up for just one class at $12 or the four classes to receive the discount rate of $43.  It is mandatory to pre register for each class. Parents can stay or drop off their child.

Preschoolers 3-5 years old will love this other kind of story time where they become the characters in the book. The class will focus on one story and the children will make the simple props and costumes for the telling of the story on the last day of class for the parents/caregivers. This imaginative program will be held on Tuesday’s from 10am-11am starting February 8th at the museum. Parents must stay for each class. A child can sign up for just one class at $7 or the four classes to receive the discount rate of $25.  It is mandatory to pre register for each class. Call 973-366-9060 or email ccmuseum@gmail.com to sign up today. Visit visit www.communitychildrensmuseum.org for more information.


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Lunch at Krogh's, Sparta NJ

The other day my niece and nephew had off school and so I decide to take them out to lunch. Usually I try to bring them to a non-chain restaurant. We went to Krogh's in Sparta, New Jersey. The restaurant is located in Lake Mohawk Village, which is a beautiful little German-style village. The restaurant is on the National Register of Historic Places.  So I thought it would be a nice, casual, place to grab a bite to eat, check out the scenery and perhaps visit some of the shops. The kids (they are actually teenagers) gave it a thumbs up.

For those interested in reading about the history, visit www.kroghs.com/history.html.

Giulia

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A Crucial Winter in New Jersey - Really

If you are thinking right now about how much you dislike snow and how much it is messing up your schedule, tonight may be a good time to watch online, "Morristown: Where America Survived".

From NJN.com...
Morristown: Where America Survived is a thirty-minute High Definition documentary which revisits that winter of 1779-80 when Washington’s troops arrived at the densely-wooded area just south of Morristown known as Jockey Hollow, to build a log hut city for their winter camp.  The film is an eye-opening look at how the camp saved the army – and the American Revolution – from the brink of disaster.



Based on John T. Cunningham’s book The Uncertain Revolution and shot on location at Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown: Where America Survived is narrated by award-winning actor Edward Herrmann, who has voiced many history documentaries over his extensive career.


Check it out here. http://www.njn.net/television/specials/morristown


You may rethink your feelings about our recent snow storms.