Norfolk CT – Connecticut Travel

Great Mountain Forest (GMF) Joins Forces with Leading Advocate For Local Wood Use at Upcoming Haystack Book Festival

Great Mountain Forest (GMF) will spotlight the power of New England’s forests to provide climate-smart solutions at this year’s Haystack Book Festival. GMF Executive Director Mike Zarfos and acclaimed author Brian Donahue will lead a dynamic program on Sunday, October 5, exploring the ways New England’s forests can provide climate-smart solutions to today’s housing and environmental challenges.

The day begins with an 8:00 AM guided forest walk at GMF, followed by an 11:00 AM conversation, “Building Local, Building Green.” Together, Zarfos and Donahue will examine the environmental costs of conventional homebuilding, share strategies for resilient communities, and highlight Donahue’s firsthand experience constructing a timber-frame home with wood harvested from local forests.

Donahue, author of Slow Wood: Green Building from Local Forests, is one of NE’s foremost advocates for sustainable wood use. He argues that the region could meet all its wood needs by managing roughly half its land under ecological forestry. “Ecological forestry alone won’t save the world,” Donahue writes in the newsletter, From the Ground Up, “but it can slow the damage—one woodlot and one wood-framed house at a time.”

Old Man McMullen Pond, Great Mountain Forest, Norfolk, CT photo credit Tom Blagden

Zarfos, a conservation biologist, calls Donahue’s work “a blueprint for meeting housing needs while stewarding forests.” He adds: “Together we’re pushing for a future where New England relies only on its own wood—harvested in ways that fight climate change, protect biodiversity, and strengthen communities. It’s a vision we are excited to share.” This unique collaboration promises a thought-provoking and inspiring program that bridges ecology, housing, and the future of New England’s forests.

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025

Time: 8:00 AM Forest Walk | 11:00 AM

Location: Great Mountain Forest, 200 Canaan Mountain Road, Falls Village, CT

Register here: https://www.haystackbookfestival.org/register (tickets are free)

The Haystack Book Festival runs October 3–5, bringing together leading writers, thinkers, and readers to explore ideas that shape our world. Learn more at haystackbookfestival.org

About Great Mountain Forest
Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a leader in forest stewardship, one of the largest research, education, and recreation forests in southern New England. For more than a century, we have demonstrated how sustainable management can protect biodiversity and support ecosystems. By serving as a hub for education and research, we spread the benefits of sustainable management so that communities across New England derive educational, economic, and recreational and health benefits from their forests—now and well into the future. GMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit encompassing 6,300 acres of contiguous forestland in Norfolk, Canaan, and Falls Village, Connecticut – a true jewel in the heart of NW Connecticut.

Brian Donahue, Professor Emeritus at Brandeis, is the author of Slow Wood and other works on farming and forestry, and serves on several conservation boards, including the Massachusetts Woodland Institute

Mike Zarfos holds degrees from Colby College, Syracuse University, and a PhD in Conservation Biology from SUNY ESF, where he studied how acid rain, climate change, and invasive species affect hardwood forests.

September 22, 2025

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Inspiration from the Garden – July Cooking Classes at Husky Meadows Farm

This July, if you are on a quest for sharpening your cooking skills, or feel like you need some inspiration from a pro, book a cooking class at Husky Meadows Farm, a certified organic working farm in Norfolk, Connecticut.

The July line-up of classes are designed to help cooking dynamos learn techniques from professional chefs and guest instructors that know how to bring out the freshest flavors from the garden, with produce grown right on their bucolic 300-acre farm.

Husky Meadows Farm’s cooking classes are open to all skill levels. The hands-on classes are small with no more than twenty participants. Tracy Hayhurst, the Culinary Director, has enjoyed over 25 years as a chef and organic farmer. Hayhurst’s passion is to share her deep understanding of fresh fruit, veggies, and locally grown products with participants and to teach them the best ways to cook them. “It gives me great joy to share my knowledge of creating delicious meals because I believe sharing a dinner or lunch together is a primal bonding experience that defines our humanity,” says Hayhurst. For more information and to book a cooking class, click here.

On July 2, learn how to prepare the perfect Sunday Brunch, which is one of the favorite meals served at Husky Meadows Farm. Brunch showcases farm-fresh eggs and veggies fresh from the garden, in addition to local cheeses, and berries. At this convivial class, replete with Champagne, Husky Meadows Farm will share some of their favorite Brunch recipes for you to recreate at home that are sure to dazzle your friends.

On Saturday, July 15, Husky Meadows is hosting an interactive Mediterranean Feast Cooking Class that highlights summer vegetables and more infused with the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean. This is the next best thing to do besides buying a ticket to Tuscany! Participants will learn the secrets of using traditional ingredients, fresh veggies, and locally raised meats to create an unforgettable meal. Sipping a perfectly chilled glass of wine, you work in the kitchen with the Culinary Director; and learn how to balance the flavors in each dish so that you can easily make them at home.

Food is medicinal and, that is what the July 29 Anti-Inflammatory cooking class is all about. This class takes a look at the nutritional side of the kitchen and dining table. During this class, participants will learn how to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into a meal as an alternative to typical inflammatory ingredients like dairy and wheat. As an added bonus, this class also incorporates non-alcoholic beverages for pairing dinners and lunches.

The last cooking class in July, “Meet the Farmer Dinner with Ruby Farm” ends on a high note on July 30. Norfolk’s Lost Ruby Farm is well known for producing some of the best fresh chevre and aged goat cheeses around. At this dinner, guests will be privy to listening to how a farm transitions from one farmer to another as Lost Ruby Farm has a new owner and is moving to nearby Canaan. Participants will enjoy a dinner featuring Lost Ruby Farm cheeses around a communal table.

About Husky Meadows Farm
Situated on three hundred bucolic acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, Husky Meadows Farm grows certified organic produce for its kitchen, farm stand, and community-supported agriculture membership. The farm kitchen offers year-round prepared foods. At the height of the growing season from May – October the farm also offers intimate farm stays, cooking classes, community dinners, and special workshops on a variety of farm-to-table and ecological topics.

June 27, 2023July 3, 2023

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Have Fun with Fermentation @ Husky Meadows Farm Stay Weekend

The natural process of fermentation is a megatrend around the world. It not only delivers novel tastes and textures it is also healthy for you at the same time! If you have always wanted to learn more about this process, book a weekend farm stay from June 2 – June 4 at Husky Meadows Farm located at 30 Doolittle Road in Norfolk, Connecticut.

Snag your own little cottage on the farm for the all inclusive weekend

Located in a setting of great natural beauty on a bucolic 300-acre farm guests will experience two fun-filled days of fermented delights! The weekend begins with Rebecca Ellis, a pastry chef, and baker from the New York and Bay Area that specializes in ancient and heirloom grains and wild fermentation. In this workshop, Ellis will introduce guests to the magic of making sourdough bread. Another class is with Tracy Hayhurst, the Culinary Director of Seed and Spoon at Husky Meadows Farm. She will lead an engaging Lacto-fermentation workshop that will show guests how to make a Korean favorite, Kimchi, and other pickled veggies, and explain why they are good for gut health.

A highlight of the weekend is a behind-the-scenes tour with Colin Coan, the award-winning head brewer at Norbrook Farm Brewery, one of the state’s most popular meeting places. The tour is followed by a lavishly healthy dinner with beer pairings at Husky Meadow’s Seed and Spoon.

A behind the scenes tour with Colin is part of the Farm Stay

Back to their roots and why Husky Meadows Farm exists there is a session perfect for gardeners. Brett Ellis, the Farmer at Husky Meadows, will explain how he uses the process of fermentation to enrich the soil in the farm’s expansive gardens in addition to how he uses compost tea and koji-inoculated compost.

Those who purchase the Fermentation Farm Stay package will enjoy an all-inclusive stay that includes two nights lodging in luxurious rooms, all meals, special signature drinks and beverages (including wine and cocktails), and all workshops, and tours. To book your stay click here.

Unwind @ an authentic New England Farm Stay Weekend

May 25, 2023

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A Mindful Stay for Body and Soul @ Husky Meadows Farm

Husky Meadows Farm located in the northwest Connecticut countryside is one of the best places in New England for a mindfulness farm stay. This five-day farm stay in Norfolk provides plenty of time to unwind along with interesting natural and farm-related activities focused on nourishing the body and mind.

Husky Meadows Farm, located on 300 unspoiled acres, distinguishes the experience of wellness and nourishment. There are meadows punctuated with wildflowers, blossoming well-tended orchards, apiaries buzzing with activity, a vegetable garden as far as the eye can see, and a formal garden perfect for relaxing any time of day. Guests can embrace fresh clean air and verdant greens, which lend life-giving energy ideal for rejuvenation.

The Nourishment for Body and Mind: A mindful farm stay at Husky Meadows from Thursday, May 18 through Monday, May 22, focuses on how the natural world inspires us to nourish ourselves, literally from the ground up. Throughout the stay guests will enjoy hands-on farm exploration with Farmer Brett Ellis and learn why soil health makes the farm’s vegetables taste like nature intended them to. Kitchen sessions, with Culinary Director, Tracy Hayhurst will show how to prepare fresh produce from the farm in simple, nutritious, and delicious ways. There will also be visits to the shitake mushroom yard with Rana Justice and, opportunities to learn how to forage responsibly.

Although there are plenty of hands-on activities, the highlights of the stay are the special sessions with Sandrine, a mindfulness facilitator, and somatic practitioner. Sandrine is known nationally and internationally for her ability to draw deep inspiration from the natural world we all belong to and share it in a magical and meaningful way. Sandrine will inspire us to delve deep into the natural world in order to understand the importance of inner nourishment by delighting in the present moment. She will guide walks in the gardens and forest bathing in the woodlands, so we can soak up the sights, sounds, and feel of our natural environment. These sessions are meant to encourage mindful practices to enrich our lives.

The Nourishment for Body and Mind: A mindful farm stay at Husky Meadows, from May 18-22, is inclusive of all lodging, meals, beverages, and programming throughout the stay. Rates for the five-day stay, for double occupancy are $3500 and $2500 for single occupancy. Local day passes including all meals and activities without lodging are $525. For more information, event tickets, and farm stay bookings visit huskymeadowsfarm.com or email tracy@huskymeadowsfarm.com

May 2, 2023

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Winter Weekend in Norfolk – February 25 & 26 – Will Cure Your Cabin Fever!

For the past six years, Winter Weekend in Norfolk has warmed the hearts of locals and visitors alike by offering revelry as a respite from long, arduous winter days. This year, Winter WIN is taking place on Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26. It is just the ticket to fight off those winter blues with a series of town-wide events held both indoors and outdoors. So bundle up and head to Norfolk and get ready to embark on a series of fun and educational winter events that are sure to please the whole family. Best of all, every event has been carefully planned by a team of dedicated volunteers, and most are free of charge.

New This Winter
There is nothing more exciting than the premiere of a new show. On Saturday, the Norfolk Library is hosting the world premieres of two, one-act plays, “Let’s Play” and “Barren” by two local playwrights, followed by additional performances on Sunday. Both plays will be performed on February 25 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on February 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. These performances are perfect for pre-teens and up.

Do you want to know your future? It is easy to do @ WIN! Norfolk’s Wellness Center for Healing, Healing Nest is offering three-card Tarot Readings and 15-minute Reiki treatments from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each afternoon at no charge. Tarot Cards are probably one of the most popularly used tools of divination in the world today. The Healing Nest also offers unique healing products to enhance individual and community wellness and well-being.

If you have always wanted to learn about fly-fishing but didn’t know where to start, don’t miss the fly-fishing workshop taking place on Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hub, located at 2 Station Place in the center of town, just off Rte. 44. A local expert conducts this informative and fun workshop, and will share tips and fish tales! Whether you are a first-time fly fisher or you’ve been fishing for quite some time, this workshop is designed to enhance your skills, review the types of appropriate gear, and teach you the art of knot tying and fly picking.

Husky Meadow Farms located on 30 Dolittle Road, a few miles from the center of town, is hosting an open house on Saturday, February 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This certified organic farm grows a wide variety of vegetables and tends antique fruit trees that are on the property. Visitors to the open house will be treated to delectable treats from the kitchen, and have a sneak peek at the guest rooms. A highlight of the visit is to see a shiitake mushroom inoculation demonstration and to meet the new farmer, Brett Ellis, who recently relocated to Norfolk from the prestigious French Laundry Restaurant where he was the head gardener. For those that want to extend this experience, Husky Meadows is also offering a special “Meet the Farmer Dinner” at 6 p.m.

In recent years, the art of knitting, a craft that has been around since the 5th century has had a resurgence, and it is now popular among people of all ages. If you love to knit, don’t miss the Norfolk Knitters yarn sale on Saturday, February 25; from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fine yarns, knitting books sure to inspire, and notions are just some of the offerings that can be found at this sale, where all proceeds go to help local charities.

The Great Outdoors
Winter is the perfect season to explore the great outdoors and there is nowhere better to do this than on Norfolk’s miles of trails that are meticulously maintained by the Norfolk Land Trust. Whether you go cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or simply take a stroll through the woods, there is always something to see.

A highlight on Saturday, February 25 at 10 a.m. and at 1 p.m. is to take a walk on the wild side with Great Mountain Forest staff. On this guided walk with a wildlife professional participants will learn how to detect and understand the signs wildlife leaves us along the trail.

For families, on February 25, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., there will be a roaring bonfire, a hot chocolate table, and skating at the Town Rink on 50 Mountain Road. This is the perfect activity for families…don’t forget the marshmallows!

On Sunday, February 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a winter hiking adventure at Haystack Mountain State Park located on Rte., 272. Participants will learn to identify trees and shrubs based on their winter appearance and look for wildlife that forages for food along the trail.

For Art Lovers
For art lovers, there is an art show of beautiful landscapes and flowers in oil by Lilly Woodworth at the Hub, an art show of Caryn King’s floral paintings in oil at the Norfolk Library, and an art show at the Guilded Artisan, of works by Ani Jenkins, whose wood sculptures are breathtaking.

Norfolk is famous for its magnificent stained glass windows. Visitors are invited to take a self-guided tour of the Tiffany stained glass windows at the Immaculate Conception Church and the Battell Chapel.

The extraordinary stained glass windows by Tiffany at the Battell Chapel depict the four seasons. The center window shows a brilliant sunrise, to its left, are spring and summer, and to the right, are autumn and winter. In addition, there are three large stained glass windows designed by D. Maitland Armstrong of opalescent glass using a special layer technique that creates a great depth of field and a shimmering effect, especially on a sunny day. The Battell Chapel will be open on Saturday, February 25 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and on Sunday, February 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Immaculate Conception Church will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and docents will be on hand to talk about these magnificent stained glass windows. Here visitors can view ten exquisite stained-glass windows designed by architect Alfredo Taylor and created by Franz Mayer & Company of Munich, Germany. At the time, this company was awarded the status of “Royal Bavarian Art Establishment by King Ludwig II and was named by Pope Leo XIII as a “Pontifical Institute of Christian Art.” Today the company is managed by the fifth generation of family members and works with renowned artists around the world.

ABOUT THE WIN (WEEKEND IN NORFOLK) COMMITTEE
Now in its seventh year, the all-volunteer WIN Committee organizes two town-wide events annually: the Summer WIN and the Winter WIN. Norfolk’s town officials, the Economic Development Commission, and many local organizations, institutions, and individuals support these two town-wide festivals in order to welcome people from near and far to this lovely town in the Litchfield Hills.