Merry Christmas!

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Although this has been an exceptionally warm December (and we have no snow on the ground), it's already time for the Holidays. We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Ridge Berry Farm

For us at the farm and tea room, this means we are now closed for the season. As such, we would like to also thank our guests and patrons who have made this year our best so far. The Tea Room will be open once again in the Spring, with a planned re-opening date of March 22, 2016.

The seasonal closing of the tea room actually gives us time to catch up on our farm work, clean up the Tea Room kitchen (from top to bottom), and experiment with our anticipated new additions to the menu. For example, one item we have been working on is a beautiful apple tart with almond paste.

Made with local apples, these tarts are not only pretty...but delicious!

It is also the time to begin the second phase of our barn renovation. This entails fixing the foundations, demolishing an old crumbling addition, re-finishing the exterior and insulating the lower back half of the building. In the past few weeks, work on the foundation was already started.

The beautiful stone foundations in the back of the barn are now undergoing restoration

Ultimately, we hope to have more insulated storage space for the market, an extended kitchen (we really need more space)....and a new oven! Our old oven failed us this summer and for the past few months, we have been working from a small (but very capable) cafeteria oven. It's time to increase our capacity and our capability.

We'll close this entry by announcing that the old Victorian manor is finally back in the news and reclaiming its conservative splendor. In 1880, the Victorian Tribune called it a "testament to the fellow's good taste", referring to Josiah Ward. This month and 135 years later, it is back in the news and showcased in the Niagara winter edition of Our Homes magazine.

Want to know more abut the house? Check out the latest edition of Niagara's Our Homes magazine 

Next year, plans are in the works to have at least a couple of Tea Room events centered around the Victorian manor and the property's rich history.