Hilltop Farm

10/07/2026

⚾︎ HOO-RAH! • HOO-RAH! • HOO-RAH!
-BREAKING NEWS-
Westfield Wheelmen WIN "Earn the Churn in Cowtown"

🌟 With the Autumn colors at full peak in the Catskill Mountain foothills, the 1886 Westfield Wheelmen had a successful run, winning three out of four nineteenth century style baseball games to capture their first “Cream of the Crop” Award during the 6th Annual Cowtown Scramble Vintage Base Ball Festival held last weekend in Bovina Center, NY. According to festival organizers, the award - an antique butter churn that honors the region’s rich dairy farming history and the once thriving creamery within view of the ball field - recognizes one team each year who, like a good cream, rises to the top by displaying superior sportsmanship, determination and teamwork. Over the two day festival, the Wheelmen overtook the Mutual Base Ball Club of New York and the Kingston Guards in 1864 format and the Mountain Athletic Club fell prey to them in the 1886 rules, the Wheelmen’s era of choice. In their only loss of the festival, they took a hard fought tie game into the bottom of ninth inning with the host club Bovina Dairymen who ultimately prevailed by plating seven scores to notch the win.
The Wheelmen are celebrating their 20th year in 2026 with Team Manager Dan “Gunner” Genovese and Team Captain Dan "Short Order" Cook having made a revival of the original factory team formed for workers at Pope Manufacturing, makers of Columbia Bicycles in Westfield, MA during the late nineteenth century. Gunner, a catcher with all his fingers still intact at age 64, plays vintage ball games without a chest pad and in March 2020, he was inducted into the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame for his many years in the Men’s Senior Baseball League and nineteenth century play. The team's 'Home Base" is situated at Hilltop Farm in Suffield, CT; coincidentally also founded by a retired 19th century American bicycle and motorcycle manufacturing entrepreneur.
“This is our fifth consecutive year playing at this festival ,” said Gunner. “And we’re always grateful to be a part of it and so glad to be recognized for earning the churn.” ⚡️

10/02/2026

09/29/2026

⚾︎ A Grudge Match? We're all Gentlemen here, so not really …well maybe just a wee~bit! Be at Stroh Field, 10:00 AM at Hilltop Farm, on Saturday October 17 to catch our season closer game 💥

Bring your lawn chair, your favorite Fall beverage and enjoy the Slugfest between our pumped Wheelmen home team, and the red-hot Red Onions‼️

09/29/2026

🌟 Dear Friends, Please join us up at the Farm for a celebration of the Farm's original founder, George Mallory Hendee. It also happens to be the 125th anniversary of the Indian Motocycle!

Uncle George; as we fondly call him, was a truly remarkable American. At the turn of the 19th > 20th century he was a World Champion Cyclist, (High Wheel) and had founded the Springfield Manufacturing Company - having designed a marvel of the two wheeled "safety bicycle" that we know today. It wasn't long before the idea of adding a gas powered motor came along.

After enormous worldwide success with the Indian MotoCycle he retired from industry to become a 'Gentleman Farmer' and built his magnificent Barn, plus a number of other structures to support his new found enterprise in prize Guernsey dairy cows.

"The Big Chief" as he was affectionately known, was a notable philanthropist, and co-founder of the Shriners Children's Hospital in Springfield - providing the finest medical care, free of charge during the pre-vacine epidemic of Polio.

09/23/2026

It's the first day of fall! 🍁🍂 That means gorgeous shades of red, orange, and yellow are just around the corner. 👀

Save this guide to fall foliage when you are out leaf peeping, or even better, plant a tree so you can enjoy vibrant autumn colors for years to come. 🌳

09/18/2026

When Notre-Dame Cathedral went up in flames in April 2019, the world watched in shock as the spire collapsed and much of the historic roof was destroyed.

But high above the chaos, something far smaller—and completely unexpected—was also in danger.

Tucked away on the cathedral’s sacristy roof were three beehives, home to nearly 180,000 honeybees.

For days after the fire, no one knew if they had survived.

The hives had been installed back in 2013 as part of a Paris urban beekeeping initiative led by beekeeper Nicolas Géant, who wanted to help people see bees differently—to make them “famous” and appreciated, even in the heart of a busy city. Placing them on one of the most iconic landmarks in the world was part of that vision.

As the fire raged, Géant could only wait. Authorities wouldn’t let him near the site, and hope rested on distant images of the damaged roof.

Then came the first signs.

From aerial photos, the hives were still visible—three small shapes in the middle of devastation.

And then, confirmation: the bees were alive.

“Thank goodness the flames didn’t touch them… it’s a miracle,” Géant said.

There was a reason they made it. The hives had been placed on a lower section of the building, about 30 meters from where the main fire spread. And unlike humans, bees don’t flee from smoke—they retreat into the hive, consuming honey to protect themselves.

While so much of the cathedral was lost that day, the survival of the bees became a quiet, powerful symbol of resilience.

Even during the long restoration, they remained—continuing to pollinate, continuing to produce honey, continuing to live.

In the middle of destruction, life carried on… one tiny wingbeat at a time. 🐝💛

References: CBC News, The Guardian UK, Beeopic

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09/16/2026

Welcome to Fall!

09/04/2026

You do not need a spectacular location to make an interesting photograph.

In fact, one of the best photography exercises you can give yourself is to stay within a few metres of home and force yourself to really look.

A backyard that feels completely ordinary can contain dozens of photographs once you start paying attention: morning light catching the edge of a leaf, tiny beads of water across a spiderweb, patterns in bark, reflections in a birdbath, weeds growing through cracks, insects hiding underneath leaves, or the same tree changing completely as the light moves throughout the day.

So we put together 20 Backyard Photo Projects designed to get you looking a little harder at the things you normally walk straight past.

You don't need exotic gear either. A camera with a kit lens will handle most of these, and quite a few can be attempted with a phone.

The important part is the project itself: give yourself something specific to look for rather than simply wandering around hoping a photograph appears.

Save this graphic for the next time you want to photograph something but don't feel like going anywhere.

Which number would you try first?