New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Article and photo by Eric H. (Norfolk, MA) - Local blueberry picking seemingly became fruitful overnight with an abundance of the nutrient-dense, disease-fighting little fruit ready to pick at farms in the Boston, Mass., area. Jane and Paul's Farm , on aptly-named Fruit St. in Norfolk, Mass., was, yesterday, our blueberry picking destination of choice. Filling three lbs. of blueberries into a blue bucket came with great ease at this southwest suburban Boston location, given the myriad rows of fully-ripe blueberries. Other farms in the area -- including The Big Apple in neighboring Wrentham -- report good blueberry picking, also. The same holds true for much of New England, although if in Maine, call your local farm to find out if they have been affected by a local fungus that has impeded the blueberries' growth at a handful of farms . All in all, however, now, and in the next few weeks, is the time to pick blueberries in New England. Not only is bluberry picking a fun activity...

Article and Photo by Eric H. One of the great joys of a New England summer is the fun and nutritious activity of picking berries. In New England you'll find many farms that grow their owns berries and allow you to load up on these tasty fruits, usually at a low price. One of our favorite Boston-area places to pick berries is the 110-acre Jane and Paul's Farm in the southwest suburb of Norfolk. Jane tells us that strawberry picking has begun on their two-acre berry field and will last until approximately July 4th. Then, blueberry picking will start, lasting until the end of August. Each years differs in regards to how long the season lasts, so call ahead at (508) 528-0812 to get the latest updates. Besides being a fun activity, the ellagic acid in strawberries and anthocyanins in blueberries are just a few of the myriad compounds in these revered fruits that may offer health promoting properties. Some scientists believe that blueberries might encourage improved memory function...

Article and Photo (Tangerini Spring Street Farm, Millis, MA) by Eric H. The New Oxford American Dictionary recently declared the word "Locavore" as the 2007 word of the year. Simply put, a Locavore is "Someone whose diet consists of food grown or produced within an area most commonly bound by a 100-mile radius of their home. Locavores usually shun large supermarket chains, opting for farmer's markets and local gardens instead. It is also a current trend for many high-end restaurants as well." We're really not into trends or people who "go green" just because it's popular, but we do like the idea of shopping locally for food in New England. It's many times cheaper, the food is usually more nutrient dense as it's fresh off the local farm, and often void of chemicals. In the Boston area, we really enjoy finding fresh produce at Jane and Paul's Farm in Norfolk (seasonal), Belkin Lookout Farm in Natick, Wilson's Farm in Lexington, V...