Hitchcock Academy Hosts Double Header with Annual “Grow With Us” Plant Sale and Farmers’ Market
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Cindy Skowrya
Executive Director
Hitchcock Academy
(413) 245-9977
Hitchcock Academy Hosts
Double Header with
Annual “Grow With Us” Plant Sale
and Farmers’ Market
BRIMFIELD – On Saturday, May 11 from 8am to 2pm, Hitchcock kicks off a lively season of spring and summer events with its annual “Grow With Us” Plant Sale, featuring hanging plants which make a perfect Mother’s Day gift, as well as perennials, annuals, and vegetable plants for your garden. Bee and bat houses will also be available while supplies last, and orders will also be taken for later pick-up.
Volunteers will be on hand to answer plant questions to help attendees get the best out of
your gardens.
For those thinning out their perennials, you can support our community donated plants can be dropped at Hitchcock through the evening of Friday, May 5th. Plants should be labeled, and any additional information, i.e. sun or shine specifications, is appreciated. Items can be dropped off in front of the porch on the lawn to the right of the stairs anytime the week prior to the sale.
The Hitchcock “Grow With Us” Plant Sale was established in 2020. Previously a fundraiser for the now retired Brimfield Ambulance Fund, Hitchcock was happy to inherit this popular annual event. It is held annually in early to mid-May on the lawn.
Bee and bat houses are generously made to order as a fundraiser for Hitchcock by volunteer Bob Clark. Mason bees are non-aggressive, solitary pollinators that nest in holes in wood already made by other insects or birds. They are ideal pollinators for gardeners. The bee houses are made to attract as many mason bees as possible with holes drilled to mimic the holes that the bees find attractive. Bats pollinate plants and cut down on mosquito populations and other bugs.
The Farmers Market will also be open during the sale from 9 am - 1 pm. Now in its eighteenth year, the market opened in April and will run through to the end of October. The market offers homemade goods and locally grown seasonal plants, produce, meat, baked goods, maple products, ice cream, eggs, crafts, soap, and more. It is open every Saturday through October, rain or shine, with the exception of Brimfield Flea Market weeks in May, July, and September.
Market founder Linda Fuchs of Flourish Farm offers pre-cut and living microgreens along with cold-tolerant herb and vegetable starter plants. Fuchs is especially proud of the access to fresh foods provided by the market.
“These small family businesses return year after year because they care about our community and can provide local products and bring these special money saving programs to town.” Participating vendors Flourish Farms and Hunt Road Berry Farm accept SNAP/HIP benefits along with WIC & Senior Coupons which usually come out in July.
Linda will be joined by Lee from Turnabout Farm with baked goods, bread, jams, pickles, and dog treats, John from Thompson’s Maple Farm with ice cream and maple goods, Sue from Rocky Ridge Beef with honey, eggs, pork, and beef, and Chelsea and Dan of Dabbler’s Notch with their handcrafted wool & wood products. Charlotte of C&C Crafts and Peggy of AP Lavender Essentials will also be selling their hand-sewn products (weather-permitting). The market also welcomed new vendor Alise of Girlies Cakes who offers gourmet cupcakes mini macarons and several gluten free desserts.
Joining the market later in the season will be Jim of Hunt Road Berry Farm with a variety of fresh produce Fresh flowers from Dragonfly Farms are also offered on select market days at the Hunt Road Berry Farm booth.
Asked what she loves most about the small but mighty market nearing two decades in operation, founder and Flourish Farm owner Linda Fuchs points to the community that has formed between small business owners and customers: “It’s the sharing of knowledge and wonderful conversations. I love the social aspect of being at the market and how we learn from each other.”
Following the Plant Sale, Hitchcock will host the annual Town-Wide Tag Sale on June 8th, for which registration is currently open. Stay tuned for more details on that and its annual Summer Concert Series. Registration for Hitchcock’s Summer Days program, a weekly program including arts & crafts and sports & games for kids is soon to open, along with the return of tennis lessons. Classes and workshops for all ages will continue through the spring and summer seasons in fitness, arts & crafts, music, and enrichment.
Hitchcock Academy is a community center located at 2 Brookfield Road in Brimfield serving the community with educational, recreational, and cultural programming. More information can be found at www.hitchcockacademy.org
