101 Marchant Road, Redding, CT, 06896

(203) 938-2117

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New Pond Farm Education Center

New Pond Farm Education Center

Environmental Education Center and small working farm.

🐄Trivia Tuesday🐄Have you noticed the new decorations hanging in the Dairy? We’ve added some fresh posters filled with fun facts and information about New Pond Farm for you to enjoy while purchasing your milk!Now, let’s see who’s been paying attention! In the comments, test your barnyard knowledge by filling in the blanks to name the cow breeds that call New Pond Farm home.Need a hint? Stop by the Dairy and check out the posters to find the answers! ... See MoreSee Less
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A huge thank you to New Pond Farm’s Apiary Manager, Ann Murray, for her hard work and dedication in securing a generous grant from the Ridgefield Thrift Shop! This funding will help us expand our honey bee education programs and foster greater appreciation for these essential pollinators.We are incredibly fortunate to have Ann as part of our team. Her extensive knowledge and passion for bees shine through in everything she does: from leading Adopt-a-Hive programs to hosting honey tastings for students, staff, and families, and so much more!Thank you, Ann, for being such an outstanding educator and a true asset to New Pond Farm! ... See MoreSee Less
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🌈Farm Friday🌈Did you catch this amazing sight over the farm earlier this week? It looked like a rainbow, but there wasn’t a drop of rain!This is called a circumhorizontal arc, or more commonly, a fire rainbow although it’s not actually a rainbow at all!It’s a pretty rare sight that happens when sunlight passes through tiny, flat ice crystals in high cirrus clouds way up in the sky. Instead of bending through raindrops like a regular rainbow, the light bends through ice crystals, creating those bright colors.These are easiest to spot around midday when the sun is high, so summer is the perfect time to catch one. Keep an eye on the sky, you never know when another will appear! ... See MoreSee Less
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🌾Trivia Tuesday🌾As we pause our haying schedule to let the fields regrow for second cutting, let’s explore the science behind why first and second cuttings differ and what that means for animal nutrition.🌾 First Cutting HayTiming: Harvested from the initial spring growth, typically in late May or early June.Plant Maturity: Grasses and legumes (like timothy or orchardgrass) are more mature, meaning they’ve developed thicker stems and more seed heads.Nutritional Content: Because the plant has diverted energy into making seeds first cutting hay is generally lower in protein and digestibility, and higher in fiber.Appearance: It’s usually lighter in color and feels coarser or more brittle.🌱 Second Cutting HayTiming: Harvested from regrowth in mid to late summer.Plant Maturity: Plants are younger and more vegetative with fewer seed heads and finer stems.Nutritional Content: The softer texture and higher leaf-to-stem ratio make it richer in protein, energy, and mineralsAppearance: Typically darker green, a sign of higher nutrient density.Why is there such a significant difference in the texture and nutritional value between first and second cutting hay? Answer what you think in the comments!Photo credits to Board Member Bruce Ward and his drone! ... See MoreSee Less
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🌾Farm Friday🌾Week 6 of our Hay Series: Filling the BarnWe’ve made it to the final stage in our haymaking journey: unloading and storing the bales in the hay lofts of the barn. Once the full wagons are carefully driven back to the barn at New Pond Farm, it’s time to fill those empty lofts.Using a hay elevator, we can efficiently transport the bales from ground level up into the loft. There, a team of 3–4 workers work together to stack each bale tightly and securely, maximizing every inch of space. When done properly, the lofts in our Main Barn can hold up to 1,500 bales! Once that space is full, we move to the Lower Barn for additional storage.This carefully stacked hay will now remain safely tucked away until late in the season, when the pastures no longer provide enough nourishment for our cows, and hay once again becomes their main food source.Thank you for following along on our journey to the perfect bale! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how we prepare and store feed to keep our cows full, happy, and healthy. Now, we wait for the fields to regrow and begin the entire process again, this time for second cutting hay! ... See MoreSee Less
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