Winter at Hilltop Farm

It's a new year... new decade and there are many things to look forward to at Hilltop Farm.

The 23rd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

T he Friends of the Farm at Hilltop (FOFAH) invites you to participate in the 2020 Great Backyard Bird Count. This is the 23rd annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 14, through Monday, February 17, 2020.

Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources.

FOFAH challenges birders of all levels of skills and experience to come to Hilltop or go to your own back yard. Simply log on to http://gbbc.birdcount.org and register. Then tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world!

Help make this the most successful count ever by participating this year in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

Annual Appeal Update

Our heartfelt thanks for your generous response to our annual appeal. Your donations not only support us financially but clearly indicate that FOFAH is on the right track and that we make a valuable and meaningful contribution to our community. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Upcoming Events at Hilltop Farm

Here is a listing of some of our events for 2020.

Earth Day Celebration - April 25/26

with the Suffield Girl Scouts

Monster Tag Sale - May 9

FOFAH will be leasing spaces for you to sell. Help will be needed for parking.

Bald Eagle Golf Tournament - June 20 Golf Tournament at Suffield Country Club

Antique Motorcycle/Hendee Day - July 18

Indian Motorcycle Ride-In expected 3-6PM.

FarmFest 2020 - September 7

FOFAH's Annual Celebration o f the Farm!

Octoberfest Barn Dance - October 9

Food Trucks, too! Part of the Suffield 350 Anniversary!

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You could be part of the fun by being a Volunteer or Sponsor for any of these events. More details on these events will be on our website www.HilltopFarmSuffield.org or call 860-758-0668.

Birding at Hilltop

Hilltop Farm has become a popular place for bird watching. Recent sightings have included rare redheaded woodpeckers. Of course, the eagles bring interest too.

Birds are important to humans and our ecosystems in many ways. Birds pollinate plants for food and flowers, as well as disperse seeds. Birds Control pests and clean up the countryside. But without birds, many ecosystems might not exist. Birds inspire our curiosity and imagination.

Suffield photographer and birder, Libby Lord has captured the images of over 35 different birds that can be spotted at Hilltop! You will see her photographs in a poster, The Birds of Hilltop, at the Entry Kiosk.

If you would like to learn more about birding at a workshop, please call our phone line at 860-578-0668.

A FOFAH Wish List

Spring cleaning is around the corner. If you have any of these items please let us know or bring to the barn.

These are some of the items that would be helpful for working at the Farm.

- Loppers/ Pruning Tools

- Boots- Adult sizes-suitable for our High School Volunteers to do weeding

- Old Button-Down Shirts to use as smocks for fence painting

- Wheelbarrows- any size

- Volunteer help for workdays, events and programs

Attention Gardeners! Time To Plan Your Garden

The Hilltop Community Garden has been organized by FOFAH since 2012. It has been our goal to allow anyone who wants to have an annual garden, can grow in a sunny plot. Planting usually starts by mid-May, weather permitting. A token donation is requested. Plots are approximately 20" by 30". Applications are at www.HilltopFarmSuffield.org

The Suffield Garden Club is planning a Kitchen Garden workshop this spring. For more information check with their calendar.

Also the National Garden Association provides a free Garden Planting Calendar at https://garden.org/apps/calendar. Just enter your zipcode and find useful information about vegetables for your garden.

FOFAH is an all volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to restoring Hilltop Farm into an educational and recreational resource for the community. All donations go to the improvement of the farm. Many thanks to the volunteers for their dedication and community support that has allowed FOFAH to advance the restoration of the Hilltop Farmstead.