Farm Tour: Barlow’s Mill
Barlow’s Mill, 369 West Main Street, Fredonia, New York, describes its farm tours as “intimate” — because this is a small family-owned farm along the shore of Lake Erie. They tell you how the Barlow family has sustained itself over the years, taking visitors from the vineyards to the gardens. Depending on the season, Road Tripping Foodies will learn about herbs, fruit-bearing trees and bushes (peaches, plums, apples, blueberries, raspberries), and native plants and wildflowers retained for natural habitats. In July and August, pesto lovers gather to participate in the whole process, from picking basil to slathering the finished pesto on bread. Each summer, they host the Pesto Festo, a culinary event celebrating basil (this year it’s noon to 6 p.m. August 23, 2009). Bonus: there’s a used bookstore called The Thrifty Reader at Barlow’s Mill, that not only sells books, but takes your already-read ones in trade. Another foodie stop in upstate New York this month: the Concord Grape Fest!
