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Anna Waclawiczek
Chief of Staff, Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR)
Rick LeBlanc, who’s in charge of the DAR’s MassGrown and Fresher program, just emailed me with a really great tip for a Thanksgiving festivity that must be shared!
Each year, the weekend before Thanksgiving, over 20 local farms and businesses come 
together at Red Apple Farm in the North Quabbin Region (Phillipston) to offer a mouth-watering array of food products that will satisfy even the most discerning of Thanksgiving dinner tastes, as well as all sorts of family-friendly activities. Rick has been taking his family to Red Apple Farm for many years and reports that it keeps getting better and better. They have added Harvest X-Games that include a World Wood Stacking Competition, Archery Turkey Shoot, Hay Bale Tossing Championship (see photos above), and the Homebrew and Hard Cider Competition!
Red Apple farmer Al Rose does a great job making this a wonderful fall family event. You can warm yourself in his barn beside a grand fireplace while sipping hot cider and listening to music. There are also walking trails and hay rides. This year’s harvest event is November 21st and November 22nd. Go to 7th Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Event, Red Apple Farm, Phillipston to find out more.
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Sounds like an awesome time! My grandfather earned his living with an orchard and he would have been thrilled to see the amount of life that exists in Today’s Agriculture in Massachusetts. Viva the farms!