It started out as a simple idea. The owners of Fern Valley Farms wanted a storefront on the main thoroughfare of Wilbraham where they could sell apples from their orchard. They didn’t expect their wish to come true, or for it to become a showcase for dozens of locally produced products from farms and bakers and crafters throughout the area.
site] and it works for everybody because their produce is sold through here,” said Brook Fernandes, owner and store manager of Fern Valley Market, which opened in May.
Though the initial idea was to create a place to sell their apples and Merrick farm produce, Fernandes said the concept for the farm stand evolved into a “place to support our friends [in the local and farming community], we met so many while running the orchard.”
The market’s initial ad, when it opened in May, listed 20 businesses that were stocking products at the store. By July, Fernandes said the store’s offerings had already expanded and now the initial list of businesses was about half of the participating farms and businesses.
“When people shop here, they are supporting 30-something businesses from the area,” she said. “We’ve been able to get a lot of new products in here.”
Among those 30-plus businesses is Sugar Chalet, a fellow Wilbraham business, whose cookies and sweets are popular products at the market. Fernandes said she met the owner, Allison Henry, when “she started making apple cider donut holes for the orchard.”
Another big seller, according to Fernandes, is the locally produced sourdough breads by The Salty Baker of Ludlow and the bagels by Fancy Bagels of Southwick.
Loose tea products from Honey Bear Tea of Hampden, Massachusetts, are another popular staple at the store, along with Honey Bear’s biscotti. Coffee comes from Sturbridge Coffee Roasters, with refrigerated Nitro Brew from Dean’s Beans of Orange, Massachusetts.
And like the best of the area’s farmers markets, Fern Valley Market also carries locally produced meats, including whole chickens, drumsticks, breasts and wings from Hager Brothers Farms in Colrain and beef products from Austin Brothers Valley Farm in Belchertown.
Fernandes said Fern Valley Farms is also beginning to raise its own cattle up in the orchard and praised the Austin Brothers Farm for teaching them “everything about having beef” on their farmland.
The ready-to-bake chicken pot pies from Barston’s Dairy of Hadley — along with their soups, quiches and mac and cheese — are more products that Fernandes said are “hard to keep in stock.”
Fernandes said the store also sells “15 to 20 dozen” eggs a day, stocked from farms in Monson and Wilbraham.
Milk from McCray’s farm of South Hadley, and skyr, cheese curds and chocolate milk from MayVal Farm in Westhampton round out the store’s meat and dairy offerings at the moment.
Most of the fresh vegetables come from the fields of Merrick Farms directly behind the farm store — part of the mutual partnership — with fresh herb offerings from
the gardens at Fern Valley Farms.
Sweeter staples of the store include kettle corn by Kettle and Pine of West Brookfield — “they used to bring their trailer up to the orchard, and now we carry it in the store” — Fernandes said, maple products — including syrup, maple ice cream that “doesn’t stay in stock” and cannolis “to die for” — from Ferrindino Maple of Hampden, Massachusetts, and raw honey from Billy C’s in Southwick.
Fernandes said the bees from New England Apiaries — Billy C’s farm — have been integral in pollinating their orchard’s trees or “we wouldn’t have any apples.” Since the tragic death of Billy C’s owner, William “Billy” Crawford, in an accident while transporting his pollinator bees in Ohio, Fernandes said she’s seen an uptick in people purchasing Billy C’s honey at the market “to support his family.”
Frenandes added that Ferrindino Maple — like the Sugar Shack — is a supplier who has been with the Fernandes’ since the early days of the orchard.
“ They sold their maple syrup out of a tiny shop in the orchard; they have been with us every step of the way,” Fernandes acknowledged.
B eyond the foodstuffs, the Fern Valley Market also carries curated selections from Wilbraham Candles, Michelle Stalworth Pottery, Laya’s Lights, Mamma Life Oils, Nourish Valley creams and balms, Nightingail hand soaps and local history books by author David Boucier. They also have a selection of plants and hanging baskets on the store’s front porch from Four Rex Farm in Hadley. In addition, Four Rex supplies the Fern Valley Market with squash, zucchini, asparagus, in season, and cucumbers.
“We went with all of our friends, and all of our family, to put this together,” Fernandes said, adding that her sister, Alessandra Corbett, owner of Homegrown Studio, had done all the design work for the store’s promotional materials.
She said it’s been “fun” to see how quickly the store has grown both in the products it carries and the people who discover it, in the few months since Fern Valley Market opened its doors.
“People who come in to shop here, they tell us they used to prune up at Rice’s Orchard,” — now Fern Valley Farms — “or spend time up there,” Fernandes said. “It’s fun to hear the history.”
FERN VALLEY MARKET, AT 651 MAIN ST. IN WILBRAHAM, IS OPEN WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 8 A.M. TO 6 P.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FERNVALLEYFARMSLLC.COM OR FOLLOW THE MARKET ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
Grow and Evolve Counseling
WELLNESS CENTER
Natasha Perrone has practiced reiki and reflexology in the Northampton and Easthampton area for over 15 years. Recognizing the need for a relaxing space for people to rejuvenate, Perrone opened Sisu Wellness Center in Easthampton in June 2023 and found the need for wellness and healing is growing.
“It was inspired by a need for a comprehensive, holistic center where experts in their fields could come together under one roof while maintaining their own businesses,” Perrone said of Sisu Wellness. “We also recognized the need for a relaxing space where the community could gather for healing groups, classes and workshops, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Perrone’s passion for wellness also includes her own products.
“I am the creator of several lines of all-natural handmade products for skin, hair, and nails, as well as home products such as organic crystal candles and aromatherapy rollers. I have a great team of core practitioners, as well as lab, office and store assistants that help keep us running and growing,” Perrone said.
Taking a holistic approach, Perrone established Sisu
health and well-being, allowing you to better care for yourself and others.”
Clients at Sisu Wellness are welcomed as soon as they walk through the door with décor and an atmosphere that promotes their wellness.
“Our atmosphere is one of relaxation, calm, safety and comfort. We welcome everyone to Sisu, and people often ask if they can sleep here,” said Perrone. “When decorating the center, I focused on creating a space where people feel like they have walked into another world. Where the stress they carried around would melt off of them, and their mental chatter would stop. Today’s world can be so hectic, and having a space to find peace and balance, even for just an hour, is much needed.”
Anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to visit the Sisu website and center, located at 40 Maine Ave., Easthampton.
“We invite everyone interested in learning more about us to stop by and explore our comprehensive website,” said Perrone. “We love visitors and enjoy meeting and speaking with them. Part of Sisu’s goal is to introduce people to a wide variety of healing modalities and products that can help them heal, deal with life, and get healthier. As a former high school educator, I’m passionate about sharing the many resources available to help people navigate life.”
SISU WELLNESS
GO LOCAL PICKS
COOL STUFF JUST OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR
ANNUAL CANINES AGAINST CANCER WALK
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER PAVILION
429 MORGAN ROAD . WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA
AUGUST 22 . 5PM - 9PM
Each Moment We’re Alive is proud to present their sixth annual #CaninesAgainstCancer Fundraiser – a heartwarming celebration of cancer thrivers and the furry friends who walk beside them. A $15 donation (under 12 — $8). Take a stroll with loved ones on the trail, indulge in family fun activities, savor delicious eats and much more! All money raised supports Each Moment We're Alive.
To register and more information visit: https://tinyurl.com/3r7hw53r
BENNIE AND THE JETS AT FOREST PARK
FOREST PARK AMPHITHEATER
FOREST PARK . SPRINGFIELD, MA
AUGUST 21 . 6PM
The Springfield Parks Department will host the Concerts in the Park series! The concerts will take place at the Amphitheater located inside Forest Park. The outdoor concerts are all scheduled for 6:30 p.m., are open to the public, and free of charge. Bring a lawn chair, blankets and snacks! Attendees can enter Forest Park for free after 5:30 p.m. on concert evenings through the Sumner Avenue or Route 5 entrances. Food trucks and beer from White Lion begin a 6 p.m.
For more information: springfield-ma.gov/park or call 413-787-6435
BE HAPPY ROAD RACE
THE VILLAGES AT POQUONOCK 1857 POQUONOCK AVENUE . WINDSOR, CT
AUGUST 24 . 7:30AM
Get ready for an exhilarating day of community spirit and purpose at the seventh annual Be Happy Road Race! This vibrant event features a range of exciting race distances, including a chip-timed 5K and 10K, as well as a fun-filled kids' 1K for runners ages 10 and under. The day kicks off with the kids' fun run at 7:30 a.m., followed by the main races starting at 8 a.m. Cash prizes for the top three male and female finishers in both the 5K and 10K.
To register and more information visit: https://tinyurl.com/5dd3fkdd
BUSY BEES
LOCAL SNAPSHOT
CAROLYN NAPOLITAN
by elaine WICKED GOOD TREATS
Candy has always been Elaine Shepard’s creative outlet.
“I used to make treats with my kids, we made lollipops to take to people’s houses, chocolate straws, things like that,” the owner of Wicked Good Treats by Elaine shared.
“People always said I should sell them,” Shepard added.
But it wasn’t until she accompanied her husband, Ronald, an accomplished furnituremaker, to a craft fair that the idea of selling her creations crystallized.
At that fair, Shepard saw a woman selling caramel apples and approached her about her business.
“ We had a long conversation about apples and choco-
late,” Shepard recalled. “She told me how many apples she made and what she charged, and my chin just dropped. I went home and told my husband ‘I think I can do that.’”
Using the apples she had seen as an inspiration, Shepard signed up for her first craft fair — the 2007 Mattoon Street Arts Festival — brought her apples and “a dozen different things,” and her business was born.
“I participated in four events that first year,” Shepard said. “My business grew from there; every year I booked more events to sell chocolate.”
Her collection of products, she added, grew organically with the events through conversations with her customers.
“People would come up to me and ask, ‘Do you make….’ and I’d say, ‘No, but I will try.’ I made many things by request,” Shepard said, saying her candy-making skills are mostly self-taught.
S hepard explained she has a residential kitchen license from the town of Wilbraham, where her business is based, that allows her to make that “chocolates, fudge, all my baked goods and jam” for the craft fairs, farmers markets and event catering she does with Wicked Good Treats.
S hepard said as her business grew, she continued working her full-time job with the nonprofit Jewish Family Services, crafting her chocolate creations — including chocolate-dipped cookies and pretzels, peanut butter “acorns” and “millionaire shortbread” dipped in caramel and chocolate — after work, sometimes until 11 p.m.
“By 2013, I was working many night hours in the kitchen,” Shepard said. “Ron and I talked it over and we agreed that I’d leave nonprofit work and pursue my passion.”
In 2015, S hepard took her business to the next level, enrolling in the business incubator program at Valley Venture Mentors in downtown Springfield, which offers education and advice to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses.
S he said the program “helps you understand what you need to do to scale your business” for growth and success.
“That was a great experience … very supportive and friendly,” Shepard said, adding that she still meets occasionally with her business mentor, Scott Longley, to “throw ideas around.”
A s her business grew, Shepard also expanded her candy-making skills, enrolling in a three-day class at the Vermont-based King Arthur Baking Company in 2019.
“I did a class for chocolate professionals, that’s where I learned to work with fine chocolate,” Shepard said. The class, taught by a fourth-generation German chocolatier, provided her with the skills necessary to “temper chocolate, add different fillings and decorate them,” Shepard said.
“It was a lot of work,” she added, but worth the exhaustion to gain the expertise that she now uses to make her chocolate truffles and other filled candies.
“Some I mold, the truffle shells I buy, fill and seal,” she said of her more elaborate chocolate creations.
Like most small businesses, the COVID-19 closures — which hit just as she was branching out into more exquisite creations — had Shepard concerned about the fate of her business, especially as supply chain issues caused a spike in supply prices.
“I had to pay $51 for a gallon of corn syrup when I used to pay $17,” Shepard recalled. “Do I stay in business? How much do I raise my prices?” were among the questions Shepard said she began asking herself at that time.
“During COVID, my business was slow, all face-to-face events were canceled for a year. I had several customers order from me and we would arrange a meeting location or I’d deliver to their homes,” Shepard said. “I did cater two outdoor events, one bridal shower and a graduation party. Every item was individually packaged, so the menu was crafted to meet those specifications.”
“I also supplied one customer with 90 boxes of assorted chocolates,” Shepard continued. “To avoid potential contamination, every piece of chocolate was individually wrapped before going into the gift boxes. That took hours to do, but we met the strict COVID guidelines for food safety.”
But as restrictions eased and events returned, Shepard said her business picked up, especially during holiday seasons.
“I like to do a lot of holiday-themed things,” Shepard admitted. She specializes in “Valentine-themed dipped Oreos, Easter-themed dipped Oreos, assortments of truffles and cookie platters” for various occasions.
S he also creates “dessert bars” and “candy bars” with assortments of chocolates, candies and cookies for parties, weddings and special and corporate events. Her catering business, she added, often comes through wordof-mouth referrals or requests at events.
“I always like to do something new, something creative. That’s why I like catering, it lets me be creative,”
Shepard said. Wedding favors — boxes of custom truffles tied with ribbons and seals designed to match the wedding colors and invitation designs — are another popular catering request.
In the summer, Shepard said she saves her chocolates for catering and corporate events, focusing on bringing her breads, pies and jams to the farmers markets she participates in. Her bread selections include cinnamon, tomato basil, rosemary garlic, asiago cheese and “tea breads,” Shepard shared. Her jam selection includes blueberry, strawberry, strawberry jalapeno, peach pineapple jalapeno, cherry, every berry, spiced tomato and more.
In August, Shepard said she will be participating in the farmers market in East Longmeadow at Graham Central Station at 64 Maple St. on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Belchertown Farmers Market on the Belchertown Town Common on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Aug. 5 and 19, and at the Forest Park Farmers Market on Tuesdays from noon to 6 p.m. in Springfield. On Aug. 8, she will be at the Food Truck Festival in Three Rivers.
And though she and Ron had planned to spend their retirement pursuing their passions, he his handmade furnishing and she her chocolate, selling them side by side, that dream wasn’t meant to be. Shepard lost her husband, a “brave cancer warrior,” in April of 2024.
“ We didn’t get to see that goal, but I know he wanted me to stay busy doing something I love,” Shepard said.
Avocado Toast with Tomato Jam and Chilies
2 slices of good bread
1 avocado
1 native tomato
1 chili pepper
1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Start by making your tomato jam — it’s simple and delicious, especially while tomatoes are in season.
Give your tomatoes a rough chop and add them to a saucepan over mediumlow heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook them until they are slightly broken down, add in your honey and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Prep your avocado by slicing it and adding some lemon juice. Brush your slices of bread with some olive oil and grill to your desired toast color.
Remove from the grill and add your tomato jam, sliced avocado and chili. Top with olive oil, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!
NATHAN BLAIS I’m a photographer from Springfield. I combined my love for cooking and photography and turned it into a career. Check out my instagram @nateblais!
The Final Countdown
7 Local Breweries To Enjoy A Pint!
TWO WEEKS NOTICE BREWING COMPANY
110 BOSWORTH ST • W. SPRINGFIELD, MA TWOWEEKSNOTICEBREWING.COM
Two Weeks Notice is committed to bringing you creative, unique hop forward ales as well as new styles, experimentals and special releases. A microbrewery specializing in hop forward ales, dark ales and fresh flavors. They offer food and outdoor seating.
NEW CITY BREWERY
180 PLEASANT ST • EASTHAMPTON, MA NEWCITYBREWERY.COM
Dedicated to crafting fine ales and lagers with a focus on pre-prohibition style alcoholic ginger beer. Named after a historic neighborhood in a New England mill town, New City is devoted to revitalization, our community, and the finest hand-crafted beer. Open to the public seven days a week.
BRIGHT IDEAS BREWING
109 APREMONT WAY • WESTFIELD, MA WESTFIELDTAPROOM@BRIGHTIDEAS.BEER
With the brewhouse situated directly in the taproom, guests have the opportunity to see their brewing team in action. They have a fun selection of charcuterie options from local businesses around New England and you are welcome to bring your own food while visiting.
OFF THE RAILS BREWING
86 MAIN ST • STAFFORD, CT OFFTHERAILSBREWINGCO.COM
With a focus on creativity and craftsmanship, Off the Rails Brewing is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of traditional brewing techniques while maintaining a commitment to quality and consistency. Their diverse selection of beers caters to a wide range of tastes, making it a go-to destination for those seeking a memorable brewery experience.
RUSTIC BREWING CO.
34 FRONT ST • INDIAN ORCHARD, MA RUSTICBREWCO.COM
With a rustic-inspired taproom and a dedication to creating highquality brews, Rustic Brewing offers a diverse selection of beers that cater to various palates. From traditional ales to experimental brews, their lineup showcases the brewers’ passion for innovation and craftsmanship.
VANISHED VALLEY BREWING
782 CENTER ST • LUDLOW, MA VANISHEDVALLEY.COM
Vanished Valley offers a diverse range of brews that cater to both traditional and adventurous beer drinkers. Their taproom provides a vibrant and inviting atmosphere, where visitors can enjoy a pint while soaking in the rustic and industrial charm of the brewery.
FORT HILL BREWERY
30 FORT HILL RD • EASTHAMPTON, MA FORTHILLBREWERY.COM
Fort Hill Brewery produces a diverse range of handcrafted beers using locally sourced ingredients. From hop-forward IPAs to smooth and rich stouts, their lineup offers something for every palate. With a spacious taproom and outdoor beer garden, they provide a welcoming atmosphere for visitors to relax and enjoy their beers.
