The Franklin County Pumpkinfest was the site of a new type of New England Farmers Union booth this year. While usually we’re tabling at farm shows throughout New England, this time we were close to home — right outside our office, in fact — in downtown Turners Falls, Massachusetts.
The family-friendly Halloween-themed event was a first for us in another way: we partnered with the West Gill Barbecue Company to sell delicious local food, sourced directly from our member farms. On the menu were freshly smoked pulled pork tacos with Mexican slaw, and pork-stuffed baked potatoes, with options including cheese sauce, butter, and sour cream—all made with ingredients sourced from our local farm members. Those farms were:
- Adams Farm, Athol, MA
- Cabot Creamery/Echo Farm, Hinsdale, NH
- Ciesluk Farmstand, Deerfield, MA
- Czajkowski Farm, Hadley, MA
- Davenport Maple Farm, Shelburne, MA
- Four Star Farms, Northfield, MA
- Our Family Farms/Bree-Z-Knoll Farm, Leyden, MA
- Pine Hill Orchards, Colrain, MA
- Sidehill Farm, Hawley, MA
We had a terrific response to our raffle of two $50 gift certificates to the farm store at member Diemand Farm of Wendell. Our winners were members Phil Billitz and Jeremy Sinkus. Congratulations Phil and Jeremy, and thank you to our member farms and to West Gill Barbecue Company!