Wethersfield Cornfest, Then Scarecrows

A traditional fall festival featuring hay rides, business expo, craft fair, food, games and entertainment, that's the annual Cornfest in Wethersfield, Saturday, Sept. 18.

Activities happen on Broad Street Green,10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (860)721-6200 or visit www.wethersfieldchamber.com.

And mark your calendar for the 13th Annual Scarecrows Along Main Street that starts Sunday, Sept. 27.

This year a special category celebrates Wethersfield's 375th anniversary.

The event is free. For more information call (860) 721-0663.

Corn, Color, Community At Farm Stands

Fresh corn, tart apples, "Cherokee purple" heirloom tomatoes - and meeting wonderful people - the bounty of summer is waiting at farm stands around the region.

We visit three - Durham, Wetherfield, a festival booth from a South Glastonbury farm - http://www.moodogpress.com/2009/08/pickin-fresh-corn-more-at-farm-stands/.

Step Back In Time, Wethersfield

The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, 211 Main St., Wethersfield is where history happened. The site will host a free two-day Revolutionary War encampment open to the public on Saturday, May 23, starting right after the Memorial Day parade until 4 p.m.; Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members of the Fifth Connecticut Regiment encamped on the grounds and demonstrations include hearth cooking and musket drills.

The Wethersfield Memorial Day parade is 9 a.m. Saturday, May 23, starting at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, 60 State St. and winding through town to end up at the Village Cemetery.

Participants will include marching bands, civic groups, veterans, and fife and drum corps.

Wethersfield Sets Date for Wilkus Farm Vote

The Wethersfield Town Council has set May 12 as the date for a referendum on the purchase of the Wilkus Farm property and house. The vote will take place at all polling operations from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The council had previously approved the purchase of the property for $3.5 million, $490,000 of which would be covered by a state grant.

The purchase was approved, but a group of residents petitioned to take it to referendum.

The property consists of 81 acres, 24 on the east side of Willow Street, 22 or so acres on the west side of the road and 34-plus acres on Thornbrush Road.

Ride For Freedom, History Is Action

Photography by Anders Helm

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

Things that appear to be free are not always the best bargain. In business and in life.

These riders accompanied the celebration that marked the importance of Wethersfield, General George Washington, Rochambeau, and the ideas the two men discussed while in Connecticut.

More about the work to preserve the route these men took in their battle for freedom and independence that took them across eight present-day states, where you can still see remants of encampments or visit historic houses.

Below, another reminder of vigilance. Crowds gather in New York at the site of Ground Zero to remember, and to learn the lessons once again about freedom and personal action.

Map, Resource For CSAs, Produce Grown Locally

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food-buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce, according to Local Harvest, an online "living" public nationwide directory of small farms, farmers markets, and other local food sources.

"By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become members (or 'shareholders' or 'subscribers') of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season."

To find local fresh produce from farm markets (yes, even in winter), visit the Connecticut Department of Agriculture online.

To see a thriving "oysters community garden" aquaculture program in nearby Long Island, see related story.

For Vermont resources for fresh (open in winter) locations, see www.vermontagriculture.com.

Trivia: Wethersfield was once known as "Oniontown" due to the world-famous Wethersfield red onion crops grown in the dark fertile floodplain soil. The town is located the heart of the Connecticut River valley.

There are almost two million farms in the USA. About 80% of those are small farms, and a large percentage are family owned. To see a map of that distribution, or to add your venture to the listing, visit Local Harvest. View what you can find in your own backyard using the online map search tool (see company image, below).