Yesterday I drove out to a Westmoreland Sheep Farm, about 15 minutes from our romantic New Hampshire bed and breakfast, to meet Nancy Zeller, who owns Long Ridge Farm with her husband, Jack. I heard about Long Ridge Farm because we have guests who stay with us at Chesterfield Inn for NH lodging when they come to the Westmoreland farm for workshops on wool and natural dyeing.

As I drove up the dirt road and arrived at the 128 acre sheep farm at the top of the hill, I was struck by the beauty of the land and the simple red barns and sand colored houses on the property. The sheep grazing in the field next to the barn with sheep dogs and hens meandering the vast farmland added the perfect touch to the bucolic scene.

Nancy very graciously showed me around the farm. First the sheep, with a long conversation on why they all had coats on (to keep their fleece clean so that dirt and hay don’t become imbedded in the wool), and then the barn, her workshop, and the garden out back. Nancy and Jack raise CVM Romeldale sheep, which are a rare breed known for their exceptionally fine fleece. They rotate the sheep around the fields on the farm, grazing for a few days in each field before moving on to fresh grass. The sheep are also fed hay and grain.

Nancy’s studio was filled with gorgeous wool, yarn, fleece, and all kinds of different projects that she was working on. Color was a big party of everything, so vibrant and in so many shades. I was taken by her work with indigo, which she had growing in her garden. The blues that she created were beautiful and shimmered on that fabric. Nancy has several workshops that happen at the farm during the year. You can see her entire workshop schedule online.

The Farm is open for tours on the weekend of October 6 and 7 as a part of the River Valley Artisans Tour, so you too can enjoy this fabulous farm like I did!

Gaines Farm Corn Maze

It seems that Summer is officially over and Fall has arrived at Chesterfield Inn! I know this because the Gaines Farm Corn Maze opens this Saturday. For those of you who haven’t ever experienced it, a corn maze is a maze cut through the corn stalks in a corn field, with dead ends, winding paths, and, finally a way out. The challenge is to make your way through the maze without getting lost, and finding your way out on the other side!

I grew up on a dairy farm in Hardwick, Massachusetts, and as children we used to play in the cornfields. We never had anything as sophisticated as a corn maze, but we would play between the rows, in our own little world. You see, the corn stalks grew over 7 feet tall, so that once you entered the cornfield no one on the outside of the field could see you. It was perfect for us and we spent hours playing games between the giant rows of corn.

The Gaines Farm corn maze covers 7 acres of cornfield, and the corn has grown to heights of up to 10 feet. The pattern of the maze, as you can see here, is a tribute to the 250th anniversary of the town of Guilford, Vermont, which is about 20 minutes drive from our New Hampshire Bed and Breakfast. The corn maze opens this Saturday, September 17 and will be open weekends until October 30. Admission to the maze is $7 and includes entrance to the baby animal barn, pumpkin bowling, and many other activities. Fun for kids of all ages!