Welcome to the age of the Digizine! Here are your October Highlights.
A letter from our editors
I am born and raised a city kid. Boston was my childhood playground of colored trains and buses connecting an ever-growing metropolis. My urban family didn’t have many traditions. There is only one that I can recall that demanded annual religious frequency, the Topsfield Fair. Almost two hours from our Hyde Park home, north of Boston we passed fields of corn and cows to attend “America’s Oldest County Fair.” Started in 1818 by the Essex County Agricultural Society, the cattle show turned fair ground celebrates all things farming.
The midway is a more recent addition the county fair of old but houses all your fair food dreams come true. The turkey gobbler with fresh sliced oven roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, sweet cranberry sauce, and just a dab of mayo is a must try. I have not indulged in the fried butter but every year it catches my eye. I never miss the free samples of fresh caramelized kettle corn, which yes, I always end up buying. This year the newest F&B addition was bubble tea and the kids lined up for it. I did control my baser instincts and walked past the chocolate covered bacon, but I can’t stop thinking about it... This childhood tradition is one that I continue with my kids. We celebrate our farmers, marvel at the bounty from our earth, smile at the newly born piglets, find the queen bee in the transparent hive, and eat fabulous food. As a child, this was a view into the very different perspective of life on a farm. While I envied the kids, who showed horse or cuddled baby goats after school, I gained a healthy appreciation for the hard-working farm
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This traditional northern county fair welcomes over 500,000 attendees across its ten days. The grounds feature permanent barn buildings which house prize winning farming and agriculture. Forget FFVP, check out prize winning Fruit and Vegetables including the blue ribbon of the giant pumpkin weigh off (2,480 pounds this year!). A true fan favorite is the Poultry barn which houses the ever-popular baby chick incubator. Children and adults alike have to be pulled away from all this cuteness! Watching the immense effort expended to crack its shell and emerge, you are immersed in the chick’s struggle. It is truly mesmerizing.
families who sustain our culture. No farmers. No food. No future. Thank a farmer!
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