The Brookfield Citizen

In this Issue
October 2005

NEWS FROM ELM HILL FARM
Revisit Elm Hill and Celebrate Fall
By Janice St. Hilaire

Past and present people of Elm Hill Farm include, left to right, Donald Faugno (past worker), Peggy Thompson (present stable manager) and Bill McGarrigle (assistant stable manager).

Please join us on Saturday morning, Oct. 29 for the First Reunion of the People of Elm Hill Farm. Tours will be from 10-11 a.m., and we’ll have coffee and doughnuts waiting for you.

Established in the 1700s, Elm Hill Farm was the premiere employer in Brookfield with over 300 members in its heyday. The reason for its prominence was the prize-winning herd of Jersey cows, including Borden Corporation’s logo, Elsie the Cow, and world-class Morgan horses. People were also employed at the huge apple orchards, gardens, stables, barns, houses and fields.

Mentioning Elm Hill Farm to anyone in Brookfield will often bring back memories and stories about their experiences or their uncles’ and aunts’, fathers’ and mothers’ history connected to the farm. We would like to bring all of these people and their families back to the farm for a tour of the buildings and grounds, to reminisce and tell the current generation about the past beauty of Elm Hill Farm.

The Blanchard Means Foundation will also sponsor an old-fashioned Celebrate Fall Festival during the remainder of the day. It will include horse-drawn hayrides, pumpkin painting and carving, daffodil planting, fall wreath demonstration, watercolor demonstration, frog pond walk, house tours, bird lecture, silent auction, hot roasted peanuts, hamburgers and hotdogs, coffee and sweets.

Proceeds from this festival will fund an artist-in-residence program at the farm for summer 2006. Blanchard Means Foundation, along with Center for Hope, hosts a summer program for people with disabilities from June to August. Our artist will offer art experiences for local residents, both adult and children, and also for adults and teens with disabilities. Our farm is a painter’s paradise, and the possibilities for expression are endless. Look for our schedule of classes and workshops in the spring, or call Michele at 508-867-4407 for more information.