Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Welcome! - Who We Are, What We Do

Spring is for new beginnings; thus spring 2011 marks the beginning of our new blog.

We are the Meyerses. Our family consists of six crazy humans, four perpetually hungry dogs, six kooky cats, six nosy goats, and twenty-six curious chickens. The Great Bend Bakery Farm is our experiment in good old-fashioned north country living.

Our farm is situated just a short walk from the picturesque Black River in Great Bend, NY. This area has a rich history. A five minute walk will bring you to the remnants of a hydro dam and the gates of the army garrison at Fort Drum. In the old days, this was an important dairy and lumber area. One can still stumble upon the ruins of old cheese factories and lumber trails in the forests around here. Our farmstead is named for the bakery that once stood at the edge of our property (the foundation is still there).



 This is a beautiful area that can be enjoyed year-round. Maples, pines, and birches are plentiful. An assortment of spring flowers grow wild all around here, including daffodils, may apples, forget-me-nots, and trilliums. We also have a wonderful selection of edible wild plants, wild onions, asparagus, and fiddlehead ferns among them. A variety of wild animals inhabit these acres, including raccoon, whitetail deer, wild turkey, porcupine, and foxes.



From the architecture, one can tell that our house once served as a barn. Where there used to be stalls there are now quaint rooms with a cozy country decor. Antiques can be found all over our property, meant to evoke thoughts of earlier, simpler times.

We are trying to recapture this lifestyle on our little farmstead. Plans we have for our short-term and long-term future include putting in a pond, adding a boxed garden, raising pigs and ducks, and starting our own small vineyard. At the moment, we are happy to be involved in many hobbies, including milking our own goats, collecting chicken eggs, making baked goods, cheese, and sauerkraut, brewing beer and making wine, and making our own maple syrup.

We hope you will join us as we continue our foray into farming!


Sincerely,





 Great Bend Bakery Farm


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2 comments:

  1. You live on the farm that used to belong to my great grandparents, the Krakowkas. They lived on your farm until "Dumb Uncle Tony" let the insurance lapse and put a bag of damp flour on the stove to dry it out, causing a major fire. I think that is so incredible that you find things that used to be in the house. I am so fascinated by this because we always were told these stories. My grandfather was just a boy and vividly remembers his house and the bakery burning down. I have been told he would wake up from nightmares about it and crying out in Polish even into his old age. I would love to hear more about the things that your find around there. I have old wax paper from the bakery and I appreciate that your logo is so similar. Perhaps we can share stories and pictures?

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    1. Hi, I tried sending you a message through Google Plus, but I'm not sure how that works. I am the current owner of the property and would be very interested in sharing stories and pictures. Please email me (Bobbie Meyers) at bobbie.sue.meyers@gmail.com. I have searched for pictures of the bakery but have never been able to find any.

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