Simply Ledyard CT

Ledyard on Facebook

When I created my Ledyard Business Page on Facebook, I never dreamed it would be such a great resource.  Yesterday I posted the question “Anyone have the scoop? Village market has a sign "Excuse our appearance, under new management?"”

I had my answer in 17 minutes.

From the buzz of discussion, I learned that the new store would be Starwood Market, and the owner is out of Norwich. That’s all I know for now but I’m sure my Facebook friends will enlighten me if there is any new info.

Under New Management

The Ledyard Farmers Market

The Ledyard Farmer’s market will re-open June 2nd from 4-7PM at its new location at the Ledyard Fair  Ground’s.  The fair grounds  should be a better location with plenty of room to park and roam.  The farm market will be open every Wednesday until September. I hope to see you there!

Ledyard Photo Friday

Buy Local in Ledyard!

I was around town on errands today and noticed lots of Ledyard folks buying their garden plants. Whether you shop at Holmberg Orchards,  Holdridge Nursery, or Alice Acres, be sure to shop local!  Especially in tough economic times, it is important to support the Ledyard business community!

Ledyard Photo Friday

I have lots of photos from our Alice Acres Community Picnic which I will be sharing soon, but this one is my favorite. Not because it is the best composed or the prettiest but because it shows a long line of folks buying ice cream which is what the day was all about - supporting Cows and Cones and the Alice Acres Farm Market.  You did good.  Now get out and support another Ledyard business today!

Holmberg Orchards in Gales Ferry Spring Wine Tasting

Apple blossoms in bloom at Holmberg Orchards this May will be accompanied once again by the tantalizing sounds of wine bottles being uncorked and acoustic guitar music in the air and over the lawns at the 3rd annual Blossoms & Bottles Festival.

Blossoms & Bottles 2010, from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at Holmberg Orchards in Gales Ferry, will feature tastings of wines and ciders from multiple Connecticut wineries, including Holmberg Orchards’ most recent release, a peach wine, World Peach. Other wineries in attendance will include Sharpe Hill Vineyards of Pomfret, CT, Jones Winery of Shelton, CT, Maugle Sierra Vineyard of Ledyard, CT, Taylor Brook Winery of Woodstock, CT, Jonathan Edwards Winery of North Stonington, CT, Bishop’s Winery of Guilford, CT and Stonington Vineyards of Stonington, CT.

In addition, there will be vendors offering a variety of gourmet foods, as well as displays of jewelry, all-natural soaps, soy candles, handbags and other handcrafted goods. Several makers of healthy, all-natural dog treats will be on site for those who want to bring something home to their pets. Foods will include locally produced pasta and pizza sauces, marinated mushrooms, all natural granola, artisan truffles, spice blends and natural grains, honey, gourmet teas and locally roasted coffee, chips and pesto. Holmberg Orchards will also offer freshly made sandwiches and stuffed breads for sale for those who forgot to pack a picnic. 

Acoustic blues guitarists Dan Stevens and Chris D’Amato, who were finalists in the solo-duo division at the International Blues Challenge ‘08 in Memphis, will be performing all afternoon. 

Holmberg Orchards introduced effervescent hard ciders, ranging from semi-dry to sweet, Three Sheets apple wine and Pearfection pear wine in December 2007. Holmberg Orchards will be pouring these popular lines again this year as well as World Peach, its latest creation. The buzz at the orchard hints that grape vines are being planted this spring to further enhance the winery’s product line.

Admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and the festival, under a tent, goes on, rain or shine.

The orchard festival, surrounded by 40 acres of apple blossoms, is the perfect setting for a picnic, so bring your lawn chairs or blankets and baskets of delectables to spend the whole afternoon at Holmberg Orchards.

And don’t forget the camera!

For more information, call Holmberg Orchards at 860 464-7305

Hurlbutt Road in Gales Ferry

The RE/MAX Realty Group office is located on Hurlbutt Road in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard.  And yes, the street name has been the "butt" of a number of jokes.  The Hurlbut (with one t) family is given prominent mention in the Ledyard Historic District Commissions Bicentennial Project written in 1976. It appears that the Hurlbuts played an important part in the growth of Gales Ferry Village. John Hurlbut was a wealthy man and when he died left a pretty impressive housing inventory including his own homestead plus two other farms, and a coopers shop.  He also left an estate valued at 2376 pounds.   It was his son Ralph who decided to add the "t" to the Hurlbutt name because he "thought it finished it off".  The RE/MAX Realty Group office, built in 1929, sits on land the Hurlbutt's owned and was formerly the parsonage of the Gales Ferry Methodist Church where Ralph Hurbutt once preached.

I believe most of us with a Hurbutt street address would have preferred he not add that extra "t".  I'm not sure what Ralph was thinking.

Just Plain Photo Friday

The Leaning Tower of Pizza

Since this is the Simply Ledyard Blog, I wanted to call this regular feature Ledyard Photo Friday, but I’ve found some fun photos around Connecticut and even in other parts of the country that I wouldn’t want to miss sharing. For today’s photo however, I didn’t need to leave Ledyard.  This one was taken at Valentino’s with my cell phone.  My only complaint is that they don’t have a website that I can link to!

Ledyard Neighbors Helping Neighbors

In an effort to help Ledyard Neighbors,  Holdridge Home and Garden Showplace is “raising” something new this month. They are raising the awareness of the needs of Ledyard neighbors by hosting a Charity Raffle to benefit the Ledyard Food Bank. Please bring your non-perishable food or toiletry items to the Ledyard store NOW through Sunday, November 22nd.

In return, for EACH  item you donate, you will receive a chance to win one of several prizes provided by local neighbors and businesses* who have signed on to help!

Drawings begin at 3:00 on Sunday, November 22, 2009. 

Let’s continue the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” effort that was started at the Saving Alice Acres Event!!  Stop by and enjoy cider, hot chocolate, doughnuts, and popcorn by donation. Some of your neighbors are counting on it!

*Prizes include items from Touch of Elegance, Sonny’s Spirt’s and Wines, Ledyard Parks and Recreation, Raya’s, Ledyard Subway, Lou’s Enterprise, Ms Tracy’s Daycare, Deb’s Veranda, Art Unlimited, E.J. Smith, Holdridge Home and Garden Showplace, SkinCare and Wellness on the Thames, Springs and Twigs, Robert and Sally Van Dyke, The Morten-Titen Family. Raffle Prizes being added daily.

Holmberg Orchards in Gales Ferry

The very best Apple Crisp. No question.

Posted via email from lindadavis's posterous

Neighbors helping Neighbors

Simply Ledyard is a photo blog of Ledyard. If you search under the category “Ledyard Business”  you’ll see lots of photos of Alice Acres, one of the very best places to bring a camera

I first heard about Farmer Pete’s financial problems from Jo Wood of Showhouse Ready. Jo has a business on Route 12 in Gales Ferry and sent me an email titled “SO SAD”. She suggested that we contact the newspaper to see if someone might come forward to help save Alice Acres. I called the local New London Day reporter and thanks to Jo, the story was born.

Sadly, the usual negative folks who post reader comments, spoiled an otherwise good story online. Let me clear up one thing. The story was not Pete’s idea; he  was a little embarrassed that I called the newspaper. He said there are a lot of people worse off than he is and he didn’t want to come off as a whiner. He shoulders the blame alone for making some bad business decisions.

Here’s the good news. I’ve heard from a lot of wonderful neighbors who want to help. My very favorite call today came from Ethan Foltz. Ethan is a student at Juliet Long who has asked his principal if he can raise money for Alice Acres by asking each student in his school for $1.00. He has a plan. The rest of us need one too. We want to save the farm for Pete but we want to save it for us to.

Stop back. I hope to have some news soon. Feel free to comment or email.