Fall Goodies (not tea)

After almost a year of strange weather, autumn seems to have arrived to restore calm. So far we have had a handful of gorgeous days: mild temperatures, crisp breeze and a resplendent sun that shines on foliage where fall colors emerge in a festive vibe.

Yesterday was Sunday and with gift of such weather at hand, the family headed off to Paneck’s Farm. A small family run farm, located around 40 miles due west from Rochester in Orleans County, we've been going to the place for the last two years. Earlier in the year we go strawberry picking and then in the fall for pumpkins and mums. It’s becoming a ritual; and I am glad for it.

It feels liberating to go out into the country. The best part is that Rochester is surrounded by it and it's just a stone’s throw away - you get there before you are halfway with your mid-size chai! As you hit the farmlands your soul expands and relaxes. You can turn off the radio and let the visuals weave their own grand symphony.

Paneck’s Farm is not a big family farm with rides and a store. It's a small quiet place run by a family that is very hospitable, real salt of the earth kind. I like it that way. The kids just run around and actually “play” with the stuff of the earth - rolling and heaving pumpkins around, touching the mums and running about in the grass. I am glad for once they don’t need to be stimulated other than by what the nature offers. And I swear the timbre of their cheer seems much more richer and deeper.

So if you are looking to venture out into the country and pick up some fall goodies from a farm do consider Paneck’s.

And here is the best kept secret. If you want to have tea there is a tea house here in the middle of the country! Just 10 minutes drive west from the farm will bring you to the small village of Millville and in there you will find Lily’s Tea House located inside an old church. We have not gone there in a long time, but I remember it having a pretty good variety of tea, including Darjeeling!

Here is the map to Paneck's Farm. (If you zoom in you will be able to see the pumpkins and mums out in the front!) Phone: (585) 589-1404

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