The HH and I have been driving around New England this past week in search of the quintessential New England town and on our journey we happened upon Lull Farm Stand in Hollis, New Hampshire. And it my friends, was lovely.
But then, aren’t all farm stands in the fall pretty fantastic?
The place was bustling with customers and the fruit and vegetable displays were amazing with all their ripe goodness stacked high and ready to take home.
I had never seen such a assortment of heirloom tomatoes available for sale. The varieties were endless and I think the going price was $2.99 a pound. Some of my favorites {Cherokee, Black Krim, Green Zebra} were there along with ones I had never tried before. And the cool part? They were all grown right there on the farm. Can’t beat that for freshness now can you?
Another thing we’ve noticed travelling through the Northeast has been the apple varieties. Macintosh and Cortland apples seem to be extremely popular, both at farm stands, and in the local grocery stores. Here in the Northwest, Fuji, Gala and Red Delicious {gag} are the most popular with Fuji being our favorite.
I haven’t tried the Cortland apple yet, but the Macintosh? Delicious!
The inside of the farm store was HUGE and had everything you could possibly want. Milk, eggs, fruits, veggies, a bakery department, meats and cheeses, you name it. Lull’s had it.
The humidity in New England… Whoa Nelly, it was up there, but I told the HH that clearly, the weather was good for growing vegetables and so a little humidity during the summer months would be an excellent trade off.
Oh, and the apple cider? Freakin’ fantastic. It was like drinking a liquid apple.
So apparently my husband likes mums. He wouldn’t stop talking about them. They aren’t my favorite, but hey, if it gets me to New England, I’ll make sure and always have a few planted in the garden. 😉
Dear New England, I am in LOVE with you, and I can’t wait until we can be together forever.
~ Mavis
Lull Farm Stand
65 Broad St./Rte 130
Hollis NH OPEN YEAR ROUND 7 DAYS A WEEK • 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sue R. says
Cortland apples were a favorite of ours when we lived in Minnesota. We’ve planted one now in Oregon!
E in Upstate NY says
Oh Mavis, welcome to lovely New England! If you receive this before you leave us, try the Macoun apple. My family loves it. It doesn’t ship well, and needs a cold winter, so don’t think you get it out in PNW.
Also, FYI both Cortland and Macoun were developed by NYS.
Enjoy!
Patti says
I love Macoun apples and miss them since moving South. I grew up in PA and never had one until we moved to CT in 2003. There are many things I miss about the North, but I do not miss winter!
Laura says
I’m still tripping over that little bag of Macs costing $20! I think we are spoiled here in the PNW with such abundant and cheap apples. I stand by the Honeycrisp as my all-time favorite apple. A trip to Wenatchee to get a huge boxful is my favorite fall road trip.
Mavis Butterfield says
It was a 1/2 bushel {so 24 pounds} less $1 a pound for farm stand apples {money going to the farmer} is a good price I think.
Laura says
Guess I’m spoiled by Wenatchee farmstands. I usually get apples for between 40 and 50 cents a pound, Honeycrisp included. Always amazed by that. To be clear, these are the open box stands on the side of the road, no beauty in them, just cheap, good apples! But, those bags looked a lot smaller than 24 lbs. Glad to hear that it is a good deal. And always happy when the farmer gets a decent payout for his work.
Mavis Butterfield says
My husband would PASS OUT if I found Honeycrisp apples for $0.50 a pound. Maybe a trip to Wenatchee is in order. 🙂
Laura says
I can give you my secret tip for that. Just PM me via my email address.
Patrice says
Mavis, I encourage you to visit Cloud Mountain Farm in Everson, WA
Carolina says
Welcome to New Hampshire, Mavis!!! Yep, it was really humid this week, but today has been lovely. I hope you make it back home before Sunday, when it is supposed to be in the high 80’s. As a transplant myself from Washington, DC in 1990, I can say you are going to LOVE it here when you move.
Mary Stipe says
So glad you found Lull’s! We brought our kids there often when they were growing up – for apple-picking, their awesome pumpkin patch, their apple cider. They have wonderful plants in the Spring, too. This year, I pressure-canned for the first time, with the fantastic corn on the cob I got there. Such a neat place, in a lovely town. Yes, I think you belong in New England!
Kathy says
I use Cortland and Jonagold apples for my applebutter. Mmmmm mmmm good!
Brenda says
When you head east do your due diligence a lot of small towns are suffering with crime due to the opioid crisis. I am a MA transplant in the South and am saddened by the fact that so many quaint towns are now a haven for drug addicts and crime. The Cape has been affected by this problem, so sad for such a beautiful place that relies on tourists and residents.
Laurie says
Eyeroll. Mavis, this is a problem everywhere. Please ignore this person who no longer even lives in Massachusetts
Heather says
Check out Peacham VT as you continue your quest for the quintessential New England town. Good luck in your search!
Lynne says
Not many places more glorious than New England in the fall. It’s actually nice for 3 seasons. I may become a “leaf bird” up there and winter in Pittsburgh;)
SandyF says
Hi Mavis,
I was wondering-in your quest for the perfect New England town, and I assume your next home, do you take in account for the property taxes, etc? I would LOVE to relocate ( or on house on the east coast and one on the west coast) but the property taxes are so high compared to CA where I currently live. Yes, housing prices are lower (some areas are quite high, but NE can be reasonable for beautiful homes) WA-.88%, NH 2.03%, as most NE states. CA, where I live is .77%, but home prices are very high. I have a historic home, so I qualify for Mills Act-reduced property taxes as incentive to restore historic homes. I look at many many beautiful homes, but often the property taxes are over $12,000 a year. There are currently 9 counties in CA that take a 90/60 retirement property tax rule, which means, in retirement, you can purchase a home in one of the 9 counties for equal or less and transfer your current property tax base. This allows longtime home owners to be able to downsize without having an unaffordable increase in property tax. I would love yo hear your feedback. PS: Love Woodstock CT, & Vermont…
Mavis Butterfield says
I don’t know anything about the retirement property tax rule in any of the New England States so I can’t answer that question. Vermont, Maine, Mass. Connecticut and Rhode Island have both sales tax and state income tax {like California does}. New Hampshire has a higher property taxes but no state income tax and no sales tax. Washington state where we live now, has no state income tax, moderate real estate tax and sales tax.
Some counties the property rates are lower than others… I always thought California {where you live} was really high. The price of gas there is nuts. I guess it’s all about what you are looking for when you relocate.
Libby says
It is true that property taxes are high in New England. However, in my town in CT the taxes are “frozen” when one turns 65, depending upon income level.
BTW my house is 768 square feet on .3 acres and my property tax is just over $4K.
And I want to “3rd” Macoun apples – HEAVEN!
Vivian says
We are here visiting from the Seattle area too! Massachusetts, New Hampshire, this weekend in Maine and Monday and Tuesday in Vermont. I really love it here too. If we didn’t live in the Seattle area I would want to live here for sure! But…..our kids all live in the Seattle area, so we are stayin’…….
Mavis Butterfield says
Don’t miss Lil’s cafe in Kittery, Maine. Order the cruller. It is amazing!
Vy says
It’s so fun to watch you make definitive progress on a dream! Thanks for sharing, it’s very inspirational 🙂