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agriculture

Low Places Ranch specializes in hay, feed and so much more

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LUNENBURG — It’s good to have friends in low places, especially if that place is actually Low Places Ranch.

Low Places Ranch at 281 Leominster-Shirley Road serves horses, goats, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, dogs, cats, cows and much more.

Hay is their primary business which they started selling in 2016, and is what led to the opening of the feed store a little over three years ago.

But it is no longer their only product for sale — Low Places Ranch sells grain and every other type of animal feed and pet food, animal supplements, pet supplies, livestock bedding, hay netting, footwear and even baby chicks.

They sell hay farmed right on the ranch, with roughly 75 acres of hay fields that they harvest and produce to feed their customers’ animals and their own. They also sell hay they purchase from credible suppliers in other parts of Massachusetts and New England as well as from New York, Canada and Washington state.

The blends they offer (depending on the time of year and availability) are western timothy, western alfalfa, orchard grass, orchard grass alfalfa mix and timothy orchard mix.

Most farms (or ranches) that sell bulk hay in New England sell it only for horses, cattle and other farm animals — but not also as small animal feed, with the quality that would allow discerning pocket pet parents to want to buy it.

Except at Low Places Ranch. They sell bales of hay that are perfect for small pets like guinea pigs and rabbits. Timothy and orchard hay bales start as cheaply as around $12 for a timothy-orchard mix and as much as about $50 for some of the best second-cut pure timothy hay (with plenty of options in between) — that is better than the high-priced name-brand hay in small boxes going for several times that much online.

“The western timothy (both first and second cut) are GREAT for small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. It is highly nutritious and palatable,” said Maryrae Holman, farm and store manager at Low Places Ranch.

Maryrae Holman tests a customer's hay to discover its nutritional profile. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)
Maryrae Holman tests a customer’s hay to discover its nutritional profile. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)

The ranch stocks 10 different types of hay and bale options to satisfy their wide range of customers and meet the needs of all animals.

Low Places Ranch offers bulk hay delivery for a fee (as well as delivery of any of their other products in the store for a small cost based on quantity and delivery location).

They test all the hay they sell for a full nutritional profile, and they’ll even test a customer’s hay purchased elsewhere for free.

“We nutrition test all of the hay we sell because you really do not know what is in your hay until you test it. By testing the hay we are able to know values such as dry matter, moisture, protein, calcium, starch, sugar, digestibility, palatability, and other key nutritional values. Not all animals require the same diets. Some animals work ([like] performance horses) and others are creating products such as meat and fiber and others are just pets! These values in the hay help balance an animal’s diet based on their nutritional requirements,” Holman said.

The small animal and pet section in the food store has recently been expanded. They now carry a variety of pet foods including raw and gently cooked dog foods plus supplies like Packt collars and leashes (which is also a Lunenburg-based business), shavings, pellets, and other treats, toys, supplements, and grooming products.

Low Places Ranch has also started selling farm fresh eggs that come from customers that use Poulin poultry feed. They have an egg co-op where they buy eggs from their customers and put the money on their account to go toward their feed bill.

The Low Places Ranch store in Lunenburg sells a variety of animal feed for both pets and livestock. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)
The Low Places Ranch store in Lunenburg sells a variety of animal feed for both pets and livestock. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)

“It helps us offer farm fresh eggs to our community and customers who don’t have a flock of their own, and also keeps feed costs down for our poultry feed customers,” Holman said.

The farm was established in 2016 with the feed store opening in March 2020 at its original location at 131 Leominster-Shirley Road in a warehouse garage behind Powell’s Sand and Gravel before moving to their current storefront facing busy Route 70 in February 2022.

Holman said the original store wasn’t very customer-friendly, but was always temporary until they found a better location at 281 Leominster-Shirley Road, which they were given the opportunity to do at their new location that is far more retail-oriented and suits the business and its customers much better.

The Powell family owns the farm and feed store. They felt that it made perfect sense being from Lunenburg to open the store in their hometown, especially as Lunenburg and many of the surrounding towns are right-to-farm communities adding to the benefit of their location.

The farm being started was a result of the Powells’ being offered two free horses in 2016, and “one thing led to another”, said Holman. The menagerie has now grown to ten horses, three working draft horses, two mini donkeys, two bunnies, and one barn cat owned by the Powell family.

TwistedX footwear for work or play is sold at the Low Places Ranch store. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)
TwistedX footwear for work or play is sold at the Low Places Ranch store. (COURTESY LOW PLACES RANCH)

They’ve bred and raised two foals each year since 2016, with one currently bred now and due to foal in 2024. While not the primary business of Low Places Ranch, they plan on continuing to breed in the years to come.

Plus, they lease pasture land to 357 Cattle Company, which is owned by Holman and her partner Craig Powell, leading to “10 to 20 beef cows grazing in the fields down at the Ranch” at any given time, she said. Three cows will also be calving this year.

Holman has been the manager of Low Places Ranch since the opening of the farm. She was born and raised in Lunenburg where her family had horses; she was an avid member of 4-H and showed horses locally. Holman graduated from Lunenburg High School in 2014. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Science with a concentration in Equine Science from Becker College in 2018.

“I was fortunate to be able to bring my education and experience to Low Places Rach. I can honestly say I love my job and being part of the ranch’s journey and growth,” Holman said.

Low Places Ranch has a total of seven employees. Other than Holman and her partner, there are Ashley and Ella who work mainly as ranch hands (although from time to time you may catch them at the store, on a delivery, or in a truck/tractor during hay season), and Aengus, Bella, and Bailey who work at the feed store and do things like load customers and deliveries or provide customer service.

“We have a great staff that are more like family to us,” Holman said.

Low Places Ranch regularly holds special events on topics such as animal feed and husbandry at the ranch and at local venues.

For more information visit lowplacesranch.com and follow them on Facebook @LPRanch and Instagram @lowplacesranch. For delivery quotes, call 978-660-6244.

22nd Apple Blossom Festival to celebrate spring at Sholan Farms

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LEOMINSTER — It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Sholan Farms, as the apple blossoms take on a celebration of their own, welcoming spring and the community back to the orchard after a long barren winter.

And to celebrate these important blossoms, and the community they beautify, the Friends of Sholan Farms will host its 22nd Annual Sholan Farms Apple Blossom Festival.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the farm, located at 1125 Pleasant St.

This popular and free event will feature amazing food trucks, local crafters, raffles, auctions, children’s activities, free wagon rides, and a scavenger hunt.

The annual Butterfly Release Parade will be held at 2:30 p.m., where visitors will have the opportunity to celebrate spring or honor a loved one. A butterfly will cost $6 and can be purchased at the farm.

“Now in our 22nd year, I am in awe and amazement as the orchard goes through a type of metamorphosis throughout each year with our four seasons and true transformation from dormant, blossoms, fruit set, and the apple and produce harvest.,” said Joanne DiNardo, president of the Friends of Sholan Farms. “This festival is an opportunity to connect the entire community to nature and to this special place. It gives us the opportunity to teach everyone the importance of agriculture and how people can get involved by volunteering.  Behind the scenes volunteers, staff and honeybees put in a massive amount of time to maintain and pollinate the orchard.”

Roxanne Chamberlain, chair of Festivals, and member of the Friends of Sholan Farms has volunteered at the festival for many years and is thrilled to be organizing this year’s festivities and to welcome the community back to the farm.

“As chair of Festivals, it is my responsibility to coordinate the Apple Blossom Festival in May and the Harvest Festival in October,” said Chamberlain. “It is important for me to be organized and to follow-up as there are many moving parts to planning a festival.”

This year, Chamberlain said, the Apple Blossom Festival will feature “ten food trucks, over 50 crafters, a Kids Fun Zone, new to the festival this year, featuring two bouncy houses, face painting, and oversized games with prizes for the winners, an ATM truck, seven community organizations tables, two business sponsor tables, Tavern 13, Central Mass. goats, an adult and children’s scavenger hunt, six themed baskets for the silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, Balloon Ben creating his balloon sculptures, and a visit by mascots Launch as well as Andy the Armadillo.”

Music will fill the air with a performance by the Northwest Bulldog Band at noon, the Northwest Belle Boce Chorus at 12:15 p.m., and music by a DJ all day.

“Also new this year, we will have some of our volunteers dressed up in costumes for the benefit of the children,” added Chamberlain. “And don’t forget all the goodies in the farm stand, where you will find delicious homemade cider donuts, cider, coffee, and other beverages for sale.”

Sholan Farms is owned by the City of Leominster and operated by the Friends of Sholan Farms, which is a community-supported, non-profit organization.

And as each year passes, DiNardo said one thing stays constant, “the dedicated volunteers who give up their time to keep this orchard sustainable.”

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of Sholan Farms,” DiNardo said. “The festival volunteers will be the face of Sholan Farms, providing tours, greeting guests, running the raffles, selling butterflies for the Butterfly Release, selling cider, coffee, cider donuts, and parking cars – just to name a few.  We are grateful for the help of Leominster Emergency Management and Leominster Access TV, the Sentinel & Enterprise and Freedom’s Way for their help, as well.”

Throughout the season volunteers help with planting, weeding, maintenance work, mowing, and staffing the farmstand.

“We also have a great ‘boots on the ground’ leadership team that includes Brian Senecal, Orchard Manager, and Ashley York-Aronovich, Garden Market Manager,” DiNardo said. “We also are fortunate to have a strong and hardworking Board of Directors. They work tirelessly throughout the year to plan, fund raise, write grants, and implement best management practices.”

The farm also relies on donations, membership dues, and sponsorship for the entire season and the Friends are grateful to the following sponsors: Diamond Sponsors: Central Mass Oral Surgery, Fraticelli Oil Company, NorthStar Construction Company, and Power Home Remodeling. Platinum Sponsors: GFA Federal Credit Union and NewPro. Gold Sponsors: D.J.’s Auto Repair, DeCarolis Insurance, Digital Federal Credit Union, Enterprise Bank, and M.F. Albert Corporation. Silver Sponsors: Avidia Bank, Montachusett Vending Company, and Rota Springs. Bronze Sponsors: Atlantic Tent Rental, Roxanne Chamberlain, Cutie Patuties, Dr. Mark Fontaine, Joanne and Richard DiNardo, Joanne Lanza, Joe and Patricia LaGrassa, Liberty Supply, M.P. Crowley Company, Parkview Wealth Management, Pipe Plus, Piper Electric Company, Rollstone Bank & Trust, Schuster’s Plumbing & Heating, and Whitcomb Travel.

Situated on a hilltop with panoramic views of surrounding hills and even of Boston on a clear day, the farm provides cross-country skiing, walking trails, bird watching, a picnic area and a variety of cultural and folk events throughout the year.

In season, visitors are welcome to pick from a large variety of spectacular native apples, raspberries, blueberries, and even the perfect pumpkin for Halloween.

“This is the people’s farm,” said DiNardo. “The Friends of Sholan Farms has been operating the farm since 2001, and it’s just amazing to think that volunteers could invest so much time and talent to keep the property in tip top shape. I take personal pride in being part of this organization that can take credit for saving, restoring, and maintaining this incredible and magical orchard.”

DiNardo added that the farm is protected by the Agricultural Preservation Restriction and Conservation Restriction programs.

“It is with pride that we envision this orchard/farm will be here for years to come – long after our generation is gone,” DiNardo said. “Our legacy of saving the farm and connecting people with nature will be written in time – and history is being made by our many generous volunteers and supporters.”

For more information on Sholan Farms, visit sholanfarms.com.

Grand opening held for Monty Tech’s new Freight Farm

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FITCHBURG — Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School hosted a grand opening on Sept. 16 for its Freight Farm, an 8-ton shipping container that will produce 1,450 heads of leafy greens each month to be used for the school’s cafeteria and culinary arts program as well as donated to the local community.

The hydroponic farm, a collaboration between Leominster nonprofit Growing Places and Monty Tech, was purchased with a $176,600 grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The shipping container is retrofitted with climate-controlled, water-based growing apparatus and is able to produce the equivalent of an acre’s worth of land using just a fraction of the water typically used to grow produce using conventional methods and will provide business, engineering, and environmental science curriculum opportunities for the students.

Fitchburg’s Mill No. 3 Farmstand ready to celebrate 25 years in business

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FITCHBURG — There’s no shortage of hidden gems in the Twin Cities and beyond, places you’ve probably driven by a bazillion times and thought “I should check that out.”

Mill No. 3 Farmstand is the perfect example: A family business run by husband-and-wife dynamic duo Dan and Denise Mulloy for nearly two and a half decades.

Lifelong Fitchburg residents Dan and Denise Mulloy opened Mill No. 3 Farmstand on Westminster Street almost 25 years ago. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Lifelong Fitchburg residents Dan and Denise Mulloy opened Mill No. 3 Farmstand on Westminster Street almost 25 years ago. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

The Westminster Street specialty shop oozes country charm and features a plethora of locally produced food, goods, gifts and much more.

On a recent, sunny Thursday afternoon native farm fresh produce including summer squash, zucchini, bell peppers, apples, corn, and a pair of watermelons sat in boxes near the front door.

To the left, a café counter offers customers coffee, teas, baked goods and other goodies like bread from the Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord.

The expansive deli menu features a wide variety of sandwiches. A refrigerated section and coolers hold additional fruits and vegetables, eggs, bacon, sodas, and other drinks including Carlson Orchards’ Harvard pressed apple cider. There’s also a large selection of Smith’s Country Cheese varieties from Winchendon, New Hampshire’s Hatchland Farm milk, and more from the region and beyond.

Dry goods include an assortment of spaghetti, hot sauces and maple products including Hollis Hills Farm maple syrup. Mill No. 3 also boasts a wide variety of wine, craft beers, hard kombucha and cider from established local businesses like Bull Spit Brewing, Wachusett Brewing and Carlson Orchards.

Fitchburg's Mill No. 3 Farmstand features deli sandwiches, wine and beer, dry goods, a large olive oils and balsamic vinegars bar (pictured), frozen and prepared foods, indoor and outdoor eating areas, an expansive greenhouse and plant offerings, gifts, and so much more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Mill No. 3 Farmstand in Fitchburg features deli sandwiches, wine and beer, dry goods, a large olive oils and balsamic vinegars bar, pictured, frozen and prepared foods, indoor and outdoor eating areas, an expansive greenhouse and plant offerings, gifts, and much more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“We have been supported as a local business and try to do so with other local businesses, carrying their products,” Denise Mulloy said.

Gifts, gifts and more gifts are found in abundance, which in turn supports local vendors and artisans.

These gifts include bath and home products, jewelry, candles, clothing, children’s items and a large bar of gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegars that customers can sample before purchasing. These are found under the same roof as “The Burg” swag and signs featuring the names of towns in the region like Ashby, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Lunenburg, Townsend, and Westminster, a nod to the shop’s roots.

Stacey Thibault is one of two former nurses happy to be on staff at Fitchburg's Mill No. 3 Farmstand. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Greenhouse Manager Stacey Thibault is one of two former nurses happy to be on staff at Mill No. 3 Farmstand in Fitchburg. Thibault is also the daughter of Dan and Denise Mulloy. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

Gardner resident Shelley Austin was a first-time customer picking out “beautiful mums for my mum” along with her goldendoodle Teddy in the outdoor area dotted with perennials, hanging baskets, specialty annuals, succulent bowls, sunflowers, and hibiscus, to name a few.

The expansive greenhouse continues the flora options and includes seating areas for customers to enjoy a meal surrounded by plants.

A sizeable, scenic outdoor space is dotted with picnic tables — even a kid sized one — and the North Nashua River gently gurgles in the background across the rocks. Several people sat out there enjoying their lunches, including a group of construction workers and a mother and her 3-year-old daughter from Fitchburg.

“That river used to flow,” Denise Mulloy remarked about the low level of the water due to the summertime drought. “One Father’s Day it came all the way up almost to the greenhouse.”

Two former nurses are part of the dedicated staff that helps keep the business humming and a steady queue of customers at the register on that day confirmed the fact that maybe Mill No. 3 isn’t such a well-kept secret. One of those former nurses is Greenhouse Manager Stacey Thibault, who’s the daughter of Dan and Denise.

Dan and Denise have been married for 38 years and are both lifelong city residents. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 2 to 17. The couple said they opened Mill No. 3 because they “saw how other towns had similar businesses and wanted to bring it to Fitchburg.”

Kristen Majikas and her 3-year-old daughter Eva Majikas enjoy lunch in the scenic outdoor area of Mill No. 3 Farmstand, a family run business in their hometown of Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Kristen Majikas and her 3-year-old daughter Eva Majikas enjoy lunch in the scenic outdoor area of Mill No. 3 Farmstand, a family run business in their hometown of Fitchburg. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

“Next year it will be 25 years that we’ve been open, and we have made a lot of changes over those 25 years,” Denise Mulloy said. “Some big, some small, but all to bring something good to our customers.”

She said they credit their longevity “to just being there and listening to what people want.”

Fitchburg's Mill No. 3 Farmstand features deli sandwiches, wine and beer, dry goods, a large olive oils and balsamic vinegars bar, frozen and prepared foods, indoor and outdoor eating areas, an expansive greenhouse and plant offerings, gifts, and so much more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Mill No. 3 Farmstand in Fitchburg features deli sandwiches, wine and beer, dry goods, a large olive oils and balsamic vinegars bar, frozen and prepared foods, indoor and outdoor eating areas, an expansive greenhouse and plant offerings, gifts, and so much more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

When it comes to those dedicated customers, both the longtime loyal ones and those who are newly discovering Mill No. 3, she said they are incredibly grateful for the continued support.

“People ask me how I like working with the public expecting to hear the worst. My answer, 100% of the time is ‘We have the best customers in the world’ and I truly mean it. We really do have a wonderful community!”

PHOTOS: Hollis Hills offers idyllic country scenery

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FITCHBURG — Idyllic country scenery at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg on a recent Friday, where visitors were treated to live music by Charlie Mallet and Evan Foisy and the fields currently offer pick your own pumpkins, flowers, apples and more.

The farm is hosting the 8th Annual Friends of Fitchburg Veterans 5K at 9 a.m., Sept. 24 and the Robin Williams family friendly classic “Mrs. Doubtfire” will playing at 7 p.m., Sept. 29 as part of their Movie Night on The Lawn series.