Growing up on a farm teaches many things including, occasionally, more than you bargained for. As the three Fletcher kids tell it, a few years ago when their dad took a rare two days off to attend a farm show in New York, they got a crash course in calving. Three cows were due and all three decided to give birth while Bob Fletcher was away. The young farmers were up to the task and dad came home to three healthy new calves. Far from scaring them off, Nicole, Elizabeth and Matthew Fletcher all seem inclined to stay in the family business.
Fall means two things at Fletcher Farm: school field trips and pick-your-own pumpkins. The season brings a steady flow of youngsters who come for tractor-drawn hayrides, baby animal visits, introduction to dairy farming and pumpkin picking in the award-winning patch. They also do a brisk winter business in wreaths, gift items and Christmas trees bought in from another Massachusetts farm.
The busy farmstand provides regular opportunities for the Fletchers to connect with their neighbors. “One of the things I love about our farm is the support we get form the community,” says Cheryl Fletcher. “They want to buy local products and they love to take photos and watch the milking cows in the pasture along the main road. Customers want farms like ours to be part of the Massachusetts landscape.”
Looking to pick your pumpkin from an award-winning patch this fall? Visit The Fletcher Farm!