As of this writing ( August 2022), the heat of the summer is upon us. The vegetable gardens that we share with guests are yielding their bounty, we are planting some late crops for the fall, we have an excellent yield of 1st cutting hay in the barn, and the high-bush blueberries are producing perhaps the best crop ever of plump, sweet fruits. Another seasonal change we are pleased to  see is the continued downward trend in the severity of the COVID-19 Omicron epidemic at least for those who are vaccinated. As a result, we have returned to mostly normal operations. I say “mostly” because of  the potential for new variants of the virus to change current trends. We all are fortunate in that Massachusetts has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country at 77%. Hence, we no longer ask potential guests for evidence of vaccination or of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of arrival. Our family is fully vaccinated and boosted, and while we hope that any guests eligible to  be vaccinated will take advantage of the protection from serious illness and death that the vaccines offer, we no longer require face coverings and social distancing of guests on the farm when in contact with us or other guests/neighbors. Guests will be able to observe and interact with us, our dairy goats, and Norwegian Fjord horses free of Covid constraints. As it was before Covid, access to interiors of the barn and maple sugar house will be by arrangement.

The farm is 130 acres, so there’s plenty of space to explore. No other guests will have been in your accommodations for at least 24 hours before your arrival, and the house itself and all linens and towels will continue to be appropriately cleaned according to State guidelines. In addition, we will still provide hand sanitizer and chlorine spray solutions for your use when here. In season, we will be happy to share produce from our gardens and provide you with a 1/2 dozen to a dozen farm fresh eggs from our hens.