Natural Choice Vacation

Did you know that President Woodrow Wilson had a sheep named “Old Ike” who grazed on the South Lawn and chewed tobacco? Or that the suit James Madison wore to his inauguration was made of wool that came from sheep raised at his family home? Or that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both raised sheep?

The world’s dairy sheep industry may be based in Europe today, but here in the U.S. we clearly have quite a reputation for shepherding! Of the 100+ dairy sheep farms that are currently in operation across America, one of the most interesting is right here in Cortland county.

Northland Sheep Dairy is a 100% grass-based farm just outside Ithaca. It operates on a self-sustainable basis: recycling crops and manure, using draft horses and mules for the majority of the farm labor, and following low-stress techniques to ensure the health and well-being of the animals.

The product of all this hard work? A delicious selection of handmade, artisan cheeses made from raw ewes milk. We love the Bergere Bleue, a creamy roquefort-style cheese; and the Bergerino, a moist hard cheese that has been aged for up to two years. Or try the Cardonbert, a soft cheese blended with purple cardoon flowers. Mmmm.

The farm also sells sheepskins and wool blankets from their own flock, and various cuts of lamb and mutton. Although the farm is only open to the public by appointment, Northland Sheep Dairy products are available at select local gourmet stores and markets. The farm also has a permanent stand each Saturday at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market.

Owners Donn Hewes and Maryrose Livingston love the hands-on experience that they get from being the only two people who work the farm. (Maryrose is the cheesemaker and shepherd, and Donn the laborer.) Between them, they follow a strict philosophy of animal care, keeping no more livestock than necessary to maintain the best natural and healthy diet for their flock. Hewes and Livingston believe that “by providing healthy, locally produced food to our immediate community we will create a stronger civic fabric where it is most needed.”

We wholeheartedly agree.

Northland Sheep Dairy is open to the public by appointment only. For more information, check out their website at northlandsheepdairy.com, call (607) 849-4442, or email them at tripletree@frontiernet.net.

This weekend is your last chance this year to enjoy the famous fall activities at Iron Kettle Farm!

The farm and its “Spooktacular Pumpkin Display”, which draws visitors from around the region and beyond, is only open through Halloween.

Though the farm is open from May — offering strawberry picking, perennials, gifts, baked goods, and local fruit and vegetables — it is the fall festivities that have really made Iron Kettle an area favorite.

For many families, a visit to Iron Kettle Farm is an annual tradition, with as many family members as possible making the pilgrimage to the farm together — and making the most of its plentiful photo-ops.

The legendary annual pumpkin display features famous characters from nursery rhymes, movies, or other pop culture iconography — but with pumpkin heads (and wigs!). The display includes a “Pumpkin Gulch”, with a tense pumpkin outlaw standoff and a fraught saloon girl; a wedding party, complete with beautiful white gown; a dish running away with a spoon (and of course a fiddle-playing pumpkin cat); and An Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, with offspring peeking out of windows and even “riding” tricycles.

In addition to the fall displays there is a corn maze, mini train, hay rides, “spookbarn” and plenty of other activities for the kids. The adults will undoubtedly enjoy the gift shop with its homemade fudge, pies, kettle corn, candy apples, pottery, splatterware, trinkets, and natural products, to name a few!

Iron Kettle Farm is also famous for its gigantic selection of pumpkins. Mercifully unaffected by the flood, the pumpkin fields produced slightly smaller gourds and pumpkins this year, but there are still plenty to be had: the entrance to the farm is still stacked high!

Iron Kettle Farm is open every day from 9am to 6pm. Tickets for rides cost $1.25; most rides take between one and three tickets. Weekends only, buy a $15 wristband and ride all day.

Iron Kettle Farm is located at 707 Owego Road (Route 96), Candor, NY 13743. For more information, visit their website at ironkettlefarm.com, or call (607) 659-7707.

The turkey is a bird so American that Benjamin Franklin wanted it to be the symbol of America instead of the bald eagle.

The bald eagle won, of course, but America continues its obsession with the turkey. For most of us, it features prominently in our minds right around November 24^th…. but at Turkey Trot Acres in Candor, every day is turkey day. Especially at this time of year, since turkey hunting season opens at the beginning of October.

Turkey Trot Acres has been one of America’s premier wild turkey hunting destinations for almost 25 years, and is generally considered one of the top spots in the United States to chase down these noisy, strange-looking beasts.

Co-owner Pete Clare moved to Candor in 1973 and soon realized that Tioga county was a wildlife paradise. As Pete says, “We have the perfect habitat for wild turkeys: working dairy farms, lots of fields, and vast hardwood ridges.”

So in 1989 he and his wife, Sherry — with the help of a few friends — “cut, sawed, peeled, notched, and constructed” a 3,000-square-foot log cabin hunting lodge and secured rights to 50,000 acres of prime turkey hunting in Tioga county. Since then, their business has “taken off” to such an extent that they entertain hunters from all corners of the U.S. and have had to add on to their lodge every year.

A three-day fall turkey hunt at Turkey Trot Acres includes all meals, three nights in a private room, and a guided hunt with a professional, licensed New York state hunting guide and a set of highly trained Appalachian Turkey Dogs. After an early morning start, hunters can relax in front of the stone fireplace in the main lodge, crack open a cold beer in the trophy and game room, and enjoy one of Sherry’s home-cooked meals.

Time to practice your kee kee runs and gobbler yelps!

A three-day, fully guided hunt with Appalachian Turkey Dogs and a one-turkey limit costs $1,050 per person. For more information, check out their website at turkeytrotacres.com, or contact Pete and Sherry Clare at (607) 659-7849. Turkey Trot Acres is located at 188 Tubbs Hill Road, Candor, NY 13743.

Look what just opened: the Stoughton Farm corn maze!

Now in its sixth year, this Newark Valley cornfield is the area’s largest corn maze. This year’s design celebrates 100 years of the New York Farm Bureau, and includes a tractor, plough, and cow etched into the eight-acre cornfield. Check out a birdseye view here. Themes for previous years’ designs have included literacy promotion, renewable energy sources, and even the presidential helicopter.

Kids love running in and out of the corn rows, but for those who are hard core about their corn mazes, try out the “Flashlight Maize,” when the maze stays open until 10pm every Friday and Saturday. Flashlights: optional. Sense of bravery: mandatory!

In addition to the corn maze and the thrill of seeing their parents lose all sense of direction, there’s lots more fun for the kids at Stoughton Farm. The little ones can take a ride on a hay wagon or “cow train”, or play in the corn box. And watch out as the older kids find their way over to the corn cannon and pumpkin launcher!

There’s a concession stand, too, in case all that corn-creeping and pumpkin-blasting has left you or your kids in need of sustenance.

Stoughton Farm’s fall offerings also include their very own field-grown pumpkins for eating or carving, various types of squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti), and plenty of New York State apples.

Owned by Tim and Deb Stoughton, Stoughton Farm is located at 10898 State Route 38, Newark Valley, NY 13811. Open every day from 9 a.m., closing time varies. Children 3 and under are free, children 4 – 9 are $5.00, and adults 10 and up are $7.50.

For more information and a coupon for $1 off the entry fee, check out the Stoughton Farm corn maize site or email them at info@stoughtonfarm.com.

The kids are back to school. You made it through the summer. Now it’s time to relax and return to normal! So, stop picking at the chicken nuggets and get back to your original plan of a healthy lifestyle.

One of our favorite places to return to nature (or nurture!) in a relaxing environment is the Waterfalls Spa at Hope Lake Lodge, in Cortland. While the lodge is well known for its kid-friendly activities such as water slides and rope jungles, did you know that it also includes a parent-friendly — sorry — eco-friendly spa that uses organic and natural products?

Even the design of the interior spaces at Waterfalls Spa is based on nature and designed to chill your senses. Each interior space follows the basic principles of Feng Shui for positive energy flow, and actually changes color to harmonize with the visitor, ensuring a totally personalized experience. Wow!

In addition, we especially like the sauna at Waterfalls Spa. Not just because it makes us feel slimmer and more healthy, but because the Waterfalls sauna is infrared! It’s a great way to detoxify — the radiant heat waves warm up your body directly, washing all those impurities and toxins right out of your pores. It can even decrease inflammation, fatigue, and cellulite! Ahhhhhh.

So, after a few sessions in the spa you will have higher energy levels and a strengthened immune system. Just in time for all those colds the kids will be bringing back from school!

Call 877-386-0416 (ext. 1293) for more information, or check out their website.

Sunday, May 15, 2 pm & 4 pm. These plant walks will help you identify wild flowers and plants, edible wild plants and medicinal wild plants. Donations accepted. Victory Hill Farms, 21 Victory Hill Road, Richford, NY. 607-657-8644 http://victoryhillfarms.farming.officelive.com

It’s time! As one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, ramps were traditionally consumed as the seasons first “greens.” They were considered a tonic because they provided necessary vitamins and minerals following long winter months without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Ramps are pleasant to eat and taste like spring onions with a strong garlic-like aroma. They are often prepared by frying in butter or animal fat with sliced potatoes or scrambled eggs. They are also used as an ingredient in other dishes such as soup, pancakes, and hamburgers. They can also be pickled or dried for use later in the year.

Haven’t bought that turkey yet for Thanksgiving?  Smaller sized, organic,  free-range 9-12 lb. turkeys are still available for sale at Heritage Pastures Farm in Owego, NY.  Call Laura at 607-687-3459 or email laurahobbs@pronetisp.net.