Calling Colonial Campers

Travel back to 18th-century colonial Suffield for a week of summer fun! Monday, July 29 – Friday, August 2 children ages 8 – 12 can don period costumes (or wear their everyday summer clothes!) and participate in the activities that took place at the Phelps–Hatheway House & Garden each and every day. Campers will learn about creating textiles (dyeing wool and cloth, knitting, sewing, spinning and weaving), westward expansion and trade (exploring maps and uncharted land), and school and home activities (classrooms, gardens and crafts). Best of all is the opportunity to learn about the toys and play games of the past. Meet historic figures and campers will design their own tours of the museum to share with family and friends.

Enfield Loaves & Fishes

Meals at Enfield Loaves & Fishes (Soup Kitchen) 28 Prospect Street, Enfield, are served free Sunday through Friday 4 p.m. until 5p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. For more information, please call Priscilla 860-741-0226. All are welcome. Please come in through the door on Thompson Court. 

Get the Buzz on Native Bees

The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop, the Suffield Land Conservancy and the Green Team at Second Baptist Church are partnering to offer a workshop to learn about these wonderful, hard-working and very beneficial animals. It will be held on Sunday, March 3, at 3 p.m. in the Second Baptist Church on Main Street. After learning about the bees and how we can help them survive in today’s world, we will craft bee hotels to provide essential shelter for them and their young. Many of North America’s more than 4,000 species of native bees are declining, including bumble bees, mainly due to habitat destruction and pesticide use. While our native bees do not produce large amounts of honey like the non-native honey bee, they are more efficient pollinators and are essential to the production of at least 80% of our food crops.

What Does Organic Mean?

We all wonder, at one time or another, about the organic food issue and whether or not one should pay the extra dinaro for it. You be the judge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given neither antibiotics nor growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

Suffield Community Aid

What’s happening at SCA this Month? Dementia Care Giver Support Group:

Build a support system and meet with others who understand. The group meets the last Tuesday of each month at 450 South Street, Suffield at 11 a.m. The next meeting is Tuesday, January 29. You do not need to be a resident of Suffield to attend. The group is led by a trained Alzheimer’s Association facilitator.

Sugar Witch

The powers of magic, mystery and murder collide deep in the Florida Everglades … get ready for The Suffield Players production of The Sugar Witch by Nathan Sanders!

Mycobiome of the Garden

The Suffield Garden Club will hold a monthly meeting on Monday, February 4 at 11:45 a.m. at the Second Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall. Coffee, tea, a light lunch and a short business meeting are followed by a guest speaker at 1 p.m.

Eugenia Bone, our guest speaker, is an author, Italian cook, mushroom hunter and master canner. Her presentation on the Mycobiome of the Garden will provide an overview of fungal biology and illustrate how a little mycology can make one a better mushroom cook. Eugenia’s work has appeared in several publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine Gourmet and the list of endeavors goes on. All who are interested are welcome to attend.

Holiday Trees Displayed and Sold

For their Holiday Tree Gala, the Suffield Garden Club collected a great variety of trees from imaginative designers and stood them up for the first two weeks of December at the Senior Center for all to see. And, hopefully, to buy. From this first-of-its-kind-in-town affair, the trees were offered for sale, with the proceeds supporting the SGC’s scholarship program. On Saturday, December 1, a good crowd admired the trees as the Suffield Middle School Elite Voices sang. The Suffield High School Chamber Ensemble entertained on the next afternoon.

Troop 66 Honors Another Eagle

Quinn Bathgate set his sights on becoming an Eagle Scout from the time he became a Tiger Cub eight years ago. Now, at age 15 after four and a half years as a Boy Scout in Troop 66, he has achieved that goal. The Eagle award ceremony was held at Sunrise Park on October 21 in the pavilion, packed with family and friends who were there to share the joy. As is their custom during the traditional event, First Selectman Melissa Mack and State Representative Tami Zawistowski presented certificates, and Quinn was given a binder filled with congratulations from many prominent folks. Not only had Quinn fulfilled the requirements for the rank – the highest a Boy Scout can achieve – he had earned 37 Merit Badges, far more than the 21 required.