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Delmarva Drives
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We All Scream for Ice Cream at Hopkins Farm Creamery |
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Written by Fran Severn
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Wednesday, 04 August 2010 09:21 |
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Milk, eggs, fruit – who says ice cream isn’t a health food? And one of the best places on Delmarva to find great ice cream is Hopkins Farm Creamery.
More than a roadside ice cream stand, it’s a working dairy farm. Talk about eating locavore; you can’t get much closer to the source than here. The four-footed (I guess to be technically correct, it’s four- hooved) suppliers of the basic raw material lounge on straw and chew their cud in long sheds behind the store. When it’s time for the cows to be turned out for grazing, traffic on Dairy Farm Road halts while the Holsteins amble across the road to their pasture. The cows are grass-fed and hormone-free, and the Hopkins’ are committed to providing a safe, protected environment for their livestock.
Green Acres Dairy Farm has been around since 1942, but the Hopkins family decided to open the creamery in 2007. Burli Hopkins, the great grandson of patriarch Alden, wanted people to get a better understanding of where their dairy products come from. What better way than to get up close and personal with the cows?
One way is to open the farm to visitors. On Monday, August 16, the Delaware Junior Holstein Association invites the public for Dairy Day. From 11-4, visitors can interact with calves, help feed the cows, learn how butter is made, and try hand-milking. Probably best not to wear flip-flops. There’s a small fee, which goes toward sending some of the kids to the national convention in Minnesota.
Some scientists say that the treatment animals receive shows up in the quality of the food they produce. The ice cream from the creamery is evidence of that! A team of enthusiastic teenagers wearing ‘cow’ aprons and big smiles scoop orders of the basic flavors, along with Cappuccino Delight, Rum Raisin, Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Ripple, “Moo” Cookies, and Chocolate Banana Walnut. Plus milk shakes, sundaes, and root beer floats. Every lick contains 14% butterfat. I probably didn’t need to know that. Then again, I don’t care.
If strolling through the barn while finishing your cone is a bit too ‘back to the Earth” for you, there’s a play area with picnic tables on the grassy, non-cow side of the property.
Hopkins Farm Creamery is open 7 days a week, 11-11. It’s off Rt. 9/404 about 3 miles west of Rt. 1 in Lewes. The exact address is 18186 Dairy Farm Road. Look for the ice cream cone painted on the silo. www.hopkinsfarmcreamery.com
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What's Hot, What's happenin' August 2-8 |
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Written by Fran Severn
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Saturday, 31 July 2010 06:00 |
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August 4
St. Joseph’s Church Annual Parish Dinner and Jousting Tournament. Held in the middle of the week since it started, over a century ago. Great chicken and ham dinner served outside under the trees that were saplings when the tradition began. Followed by an afternoon of ring jousting (the state sport, don’t you forget.) Dinner 11:30, Joust 1:00. See a video of last year’s event: http://bit.ly/9axGjV
August 6
1st Friday. Easton & Chestertown. Shops and studios open late. Special events. 5-9pm
August 6-7
Tangier Island Homecoming Festival. 5pm. Two evenings of food, dance, and music. Island can only be reached by the ferry or private boat. Call to find out about ferry schedule or overnight accommodations on the island. 757-891-2438
August 6-7-8
50th Wheat Threshing Steam & Gas Engine Show, Federalsburg. Antique farm equipment fired up and operating, old cars, blacksmith shop, sawmill, rock crusher. Breakfast 7:00 each day. Parade of the steam traction engines and other equipment 5PM on Friday and Saturday, 4PM on Sunday. FREE. 10-6 daily. On Rt 313 near Federalsburg. www.threshermen.org
August 7
First Saturday in Stevensville. “Art Stop” Stroll through the studios and shops. 11-4
32nd Annual Sandcastle Contest, Rehoboth Beach. About 800 people create sand sculptures, everything from animals, mermaids, crabs, pyramids, and every variety of sand castle. Over 100 teams and many individuals Registration starts at 8:30. Artistic compositions must be finished by 3. FREE to register and to watch. At Fishermen’s Beach at the north end of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk.
www.beach-fun.com
Cheriton Day
The town at the southern tip of Delmarva celebrates its community with a parade, cake walk, community breakfast, silent auction, sand good food: crab cakes, turkey legs and more. 9-6.
757-761-0390
Appreciation Day, Betterton Beach. One of the things they appreciate is that the sandy beach at Betterton is never plagued by stinging jellyfish. Parade (10 am), swimming, baby contest, music, and the (in)famous cow plop bingo in the town park. 410-348-5678.
Concert in the Vineyard, Chatham Vineyards, Machipongo. “Dead on the Vine” tribute to the Grateful Dead. Dinner is an Eastern Shore Seafood Boil with clams, shrimp, crabs, sausage. And a glass of wine. $20 for adults. Kids under 12 free (They get the dinner, but no wine.) www.chathamvineyards.net
Kent Fort Farm Peach Festival. Stevensville. Very family-oriented with hay rides, petting zoo, crafts. Pick-your-own peaches and blackberries. Other local foods for sale. Cash only. 10-4. Free. Farm is at 135 Eastern Lane in Stevensville. 410-643-1650
August 7-8
Annie Oakley Wild West Festival, Cambridge. Annie Oakley and Frank Butler lived in Cambridge for several years when they wanted to leave the performing world behind them. This celebrates the 150th birthday of the legendary sharp shooter. Live music by several country and cowboy music artists and groups, Native American area, pony and stagecoach rides, buffalo burgers, and deep fried Twinkies (don’t knock ‘em if you haven’t tried ‘em). Sailwinds Park. 12-8. FREE. www.annieoakleyfestival.com
Rehoboth Art League Annual Members’ Outdoor Fine Art & Fine Craft Exhibition. One of the largest and finest shows of artistic talent in the region. That it’s held outdoors on the beautiful grounds of the Art League just adds to the ambiance. This year, there are even more booths and more artists, plus live music: jazz, Caribbean, World Culture. $5, children free. The event also repeats next weekend, August 14-15. www.rehobothartleague.org
Thunder on the Narrows, Chestertown. Hydroplanes and Jersey Speed Skiffs race on a mile-and-a-quarter course at over 100 mph. Held at the Kent Narrows Yacht Club. 12-5 each day. $7 adults. Children under 12 free. http://kentnarrowsracing.com/
August 8
Music at Layton’s Chance Winery, Vienna. Shore favorite Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys in concert. 2PM. $5 www.laytonschance.com
Seafood and Arts Festival, Indian River Marina, Delaware Seashore State Park. Nautical artists, live music, and fresh seafood. All on the waterfront. And it’s FREE. Life is good. www.destateparks.com
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The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation |
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Written by Fran Severn
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 21:06 |
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People who think J.K.Rowling is prolific for writing the seven Harry Potter novels obviously aren’t up to speed with Marguerite Henry’s output. The lady who gave us Misty of Chincoteague wrote 26 novels, most of which deal with the Chincoteague herd in some way.
The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation uses the ongoing popularity of the books to promote a love of reading and an appreciation of fine art. But it started as an effort to save the Beebe Farm. That’s where Misty of Chincoteague is set. A young girl, Becki Giusti, who loved the Misty books, was distraught when she heard that the Beebe Farm was going to be sold to townhouse developers. She felt that she and other kids should be able to see that pastures where Misty lived and played. She contacted Marguerite Henry, who contacted Peter Stone of Breyer model horses. They contacted other business people, artists, and some Chincoteague residents and raised the funds to save the farm. (You can visit from Memorial through Labor Day http://beeberanch.vpweb.com/ )
Buoyed by the interest in Misty’s influence on so many people, the group decided to use the books for more than an afternoon’s entertainment. The Foundation draws together professionals, business people, artists, and educators who send out educational and research materials and displays of Misty of Chincoteague artwork to schools around the country.
Marguerite Henry passed away in 1997. But the Foundation continues the work she and Becki started. Peter Stone is still on the Board of Directors, as is a now grown-up Becki. They continue to “promote literacy, writing, and the conservation of places that allow the imagination to soar unfettered.”
The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation: www.mistyofchincoteague.org
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Written by Fran Severn
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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 20:20 |
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Little girls and horses. Is there a more charming picture than a smiling girl with her arms around the neck of her horse at the start of a lifelong friendship?
That’s the heart of the romance of the Chincoteague ponies: the story of a little girl saving her birthday money and lemonade sales to but a pony at the auction.
The trouble is that the ponies don’t come cheap. Even in a bad economy, the foals go for around a thousand dollars; in good years, lots more.
Enter The Feather Fund. Back in 1995, Lois & Dan Szymanski traveled to Chincoteague with their daughters Shannon and Ashley. The girls had saved $500. They bid on every pony, and every pony went to someone else. Then a lady wearing a large, floppy hat approached. Her name was Carollynn Suplee and she wanted to help the girls buy a horse. The Szymanski’s politely refused until Carollynn explained her story. She was fighting cancer, a brain tumor. After her surgery, she began finding feathers. Everywhere. Places feathers aren’t supposed to be. She then read Psalm 91, which is about being covered with feathers as a sign of being in God’s care. She decided that she needed to give back some of the gifts she’d received in life. When she’d heard about the girls, a seagull feather floated down in front of her. And Shannon’s t-shirt had feathers in the design. She took the celestial hint.
The pony they won was solid brown. Except for the marking on his neck that looked like a jagged white feather. They named him Sea Feather.
Every year after that, Carollynn and her husband, Ed, helped a child get their dream pony. They continued until Carollynn died in 2003. Her friends decided to continue her work and founded The Feather Fund. They review entries from children living around the country, making sure they know what’s involved in taking care of and training a foal and that they have the facilities to do so. Equally important is the essay the child writes about why they want a Chincoteague pony.
The winners travel to Chincoteague for Pony Penning Week. They pick out their heart’s desire and wait for the foal to show up in the bidding circle. Most of the crowd figures out pretty quickly when the foal is a Feather Fund hopeful. It probably has something to do with the anxious looks from the young girl or boy clinging to the fence as the bids climb. The applause when the gavel falls and the child realizes that the foal is really theirs is especially loud. You might not see them, but you know there are feathers in the air.
For more information about The Feather Fund, visit their website: www.featherfund.org.
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Chincoteague's Saltwater Cowboys |
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Written by Fran Severn
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Monday, 26 July 2010 18:27 |
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When the ponies swim across the water from Assateague to Chincoteague tomorrow, they’ll be escorted by The Saltwater Cowboys. These are the volunteer riders who are responsible for keeping an eye on the herd during the year and managing the roundup and swim.
It’s fun, but it’s not easy. Assateague is not all beach. The dunes, scrub trees, marshes, undergrowth, and bugs make the patrols and roundups challenging for both the riders and their horses. Being herd animals, the ponies are generally willing enough to go into the corrals for their veterinary treatments, but that doesn’t mean that finding them is all that easy, and there are always a few independent horses who regard the whole exercise as a violation of their freedoms.
Most of the cowboys are members of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, which owns the Virginia herd. (The Maryland herd is an entirely separate entity, which is left as a wholly feral herd, receiving no veterinary treatment. The two herds are kept apart by a fence at the VA and MD border. It’s the only physical boundary between two states. Remember that when you are on Jeopardy.)
Mounted, the Cowboys look like Central Casting’s version of their Western counterparts. But these tough men who make their living as watermen, builders, mechanics, and other hard-edged professions get in touch with their softer side where the ponies are concerned. They are the only humans the horses have any regular contact with, and the cowboys know that contact with something so wild and free is something special. They talk about how the foals are so unafraid of humans that they walk right up and wait to be scratched or fussed with while their dams graze nearby, totally unconcerned.
When it’s time for the roundup, the Cowboys gather the horses a day or so in advance, letting them relax in the corral near the water. When it’s time for the swim, they use veterans of the swim and their own horses to ease the herd into the water. The walk through town to the fairgrounds is almost leisurely, with the ponies immediately grazing when they reach the paddock. The whole scene could be a frantic, frightening circus for the horses. Not here. This is calmer and more orderly than most horse shows I’ve attended. That says a lot about the planning and even more about the riders who make it happen.
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