FARMCOAST NEW ENGLAND

Plan a Fall Ramble to visit our countryside, explore our villages, and discover the beauty of this historic coast line!

Located within a one hour drive south of Boston and near Providence, Newport, Cape Cod, and the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts, this area has retained a rural and historical character of farms, villages, beaches, and harbors. We invite you to enjoy this beauty with us!

Plan A Fall Ramble

These days of Indian Summer are an ideal time to visit FarmCoast. In New England this is the quintessential moment when the days are still warm, and soon a backdrop of fall colors will wash the countryside. We’ve seen a bald eagle twice in the last month soaring over our local waters.

Fall is the harvest time, and any trip should include a visit to the many farm stands in this area. There’s still sweet corn and tomatoes; however, now you will also find squash, pumpkins, apples, and fall mums for your garden. Depending on where you start your trip we recommend stopping at Alderbrook Farm in Russell’s Mills where you will find everything from a petting zoo to composting toilets! In Little Compton, Young’s Family Farm offers apple-picking as well as a full farm stand of fall fruits, flowers, and vegetables.

For fall gardeners visit Sakonnet Gardens or Peckham’s Greenhouses in Little Compton - each of which offers a variety of fall plants. Also, the Sylvan Nursery in Westport - a regional source for trees, shrubs, and landscape materials.

FarmCoast should always include a visit to one or both of our two award-winning vineyards. Westport Rivers Vineyard overlooks the Westport River and its rolling fields of vines. This is almost time for the harvest, and sometime in mid-October field hands will descend on the vineyard to pick this years grapes. The grapes have been closely watched and tested throughout the summer to determine the sugar content and idealtime for picking.

Westport Rivers is known for its estate-grown sparkling wines.You can visit their tasting room to try a variety of the vintages and learn from their knowledgeable staff how each becomes an accompaniment to different menus. We’re partial to their 2003 Brut Cuvee RJR as a stylish sparkling wine to enhance any meal.

Sakonnet Vineyards on the Rhode Island side of FarmCoast presents an entirely different experience. Recently, they’ve opened a cafe on weekends serving a restaurant menu of entrees as well as tasty sandwiches and salads. Come by bicycle and enjoy the outdoor seating. We like their Estate Chardonnay 2007 with no oak - a perfect complement to seafood from this area. This year Edible Rhode Island magazine awarded Elaine Bernier their 2009 “Local Hero Award” for her contributions to the edible community in producing award-winning wines.

For beer devotees, Buzzard’s Bay Brewery is a place to stop and taste their varieties of ales and pilsners. Owned by the Russell Family, the Brewery and the Westport Rivers Winery are both founded on the principal of utilizing local agriculture to make the area a more sustainable community.

For those interested in the arts, our Fall Ramble will introduce you to the many fine artists, galleries, and artisans in the area.

In the quaint village of Russels Mills, you will find Salt Marsh Pottery located in a 19th century school house. The proprietors, Betsy and John Powell, in addition to their fine line of pottery, make heirloom-quality platters embossed with wild flowers to commemorate special
occasions.

Less than a mile south of Russell Mills you will find Gustin Ceramics. Some of their work is wood fired for over a week in a Japanese anagama kiln. For more information about this kiln read our Gustin Profile. Their gallery features contemporary ceramic work and is located in a rustic barn along Horseneck Road in South Dartmouth.

Between these two pottery destinations, you should also visit Davol’s General Store in Russells Mills, an old-fashioned general store untouched since the 19th century and Dartmoor Gifts on Horseneck Road where you’ll find a collection of garden accessories and gifts for any occasion.

Small is beautiful in FarmCoast. You won’t find malls here. Just like the produce growing in the fields, all of our businesses are home grown. To understand this ethic, visit The Art Cafe in Little Compton - just south of the Common on a road aptly calledSouth of Commons Road. Here you will find artisanally brewed cappuccino, fresh baked muffins, and local artwork.

Similarly,Courtyards, a gift and garden shop at Tiverton Four Corners, exemplifies the type of small treasures found in this community.

The largest concentration of art will be found at Tiverton Four Corners. Gallery 4 features an eclectic mix of art, Chinese antiques, oriental rugs, and jewelry. Donovan Gallery has a collection of the finest New England landscape paintings in New England!

This historic village also boasts several shops displaying stylish contemporary accessories and home furnishings. The Cottage at Four Corners, located in a barn-like structure displays a variety of glassware, pewter ware, artwork, and furniture. Nancy Hemenway, the shop’s owner, was a principal at Design Research in Cambridge and a Marimeko store in Manhattan. Across the street you will also find the newly opened Nankeen which features handbags and other accessories using an ancient Chinese indigo-dyed cloth. Recently, their work was featured on the “Today” show. For smart and eclectic women’s clothing visit Abigail & Magnolia’s.

Many of the shops at Four Corners feature artisans working right in their shops. Tiffany Peay creates unusual jewelry using soft colored gems, and Roseberry-Winn Pottery across the street has been featured in Yankee Magazine. The Amy Lund Weaving Studio offers classes and features handmade scarves and wraps, blankets and table linens, and a gallery of local artists. For knitters, weavers, needle pointers, another shop, Sakonnet Purls, is a premier destination in New England for wool, patterns, and other knitting materials.

Although there are over 9 villages in the FarmCoast area, the major centers are found in Tiverton Four Corners, and Padanaram. Each distinctly different from each other. Padanaram boasts one of the most important harbors in Buzzard’s Bay and, accordingly, is an anchorage for many yachtsmen. Here, too, you will find several special shops including Flora for a variety of gifts and floral accessories, Folio, a unique invitation and stationery boutique. The Packet, too, has long been the store for women’s clothing as well as fashionable gifts.

Central Village in Westport offers more choices: A.S.Deams, Deni’s Closet, and Country Woolens each have different collections of women’s clothing and casual wear. Here you can also browse in Partner’s Village Store - a contemporary old-fashioned general store [No, that’s not an oxymoron!] with gifts, books, a cafe, and more!

Whether at the beginning, middle, or end of the day, you will want to stop and enjoy one of our many fine restaurants or eateries. All of the food vendors in FarmCoast pride themselves in utilizing the produce of local farmers and fishermen. Each is special in its own way and all of our restaurants are comfortable and casual. Bittersweet Tavern in Westport, The Stone House Club Tavern in Little Compton, and The Back Eddy in Westport all offer excellent evening dining (call about lunches at this time of year). Black Bass Grille in Padanaram, Bayside Restaurant in Westport, and Evelyn’s Drive-In in Tiverton all offer fresh seafood with water views. The Four Corners Grille and the Provender in Tiverton Four Corners, The Commons Lunch in Little Compton, all provide a hearty meal.

For those on-the-go, picnic materials can be found at Lee’s Market in Westport, or at Tiverton Four Corners visit Milk & Honey Bazaar, an award winning cheese emporium, and the landmark Provender for fine sandwiches and pastries. For the finest barista-made coffee, Coastal Roasters on Main Road in Tiverton has no peers in the area. We’ve also wanted some day to promote a tour of our famous ice cream stands: Rhode Island’s all-time award-winning Gray’s Ice Cream at Four Corners, Handy Hill Creamery in Westport, and Salvador’s Ice Cream located in an iconic milk bottle in Dartmouth.

For the active adventurers, bicyclists can tune up at theVillage Bicycle in Westport. OspreySea Kayak Adventures offers instruction and guided tours of the coastal waters in the area. Another perfect outing would be to plan a hayride at Pachetbrook Farm along the
Tiverton-Little Compton border.

Lastly, if you
decide to learn
more about the area, try staying for a night or two at one of our Bed & Breakfasts, and, as your relationship with the area grows, it will become time to look for the perfect house and contact one of our fine Realtors! You will find both Places to Stay and Realtors on our web site. Welcome to FarmCoast!!!

PRESS ARTICLES

This summer the Boston Globe featured two travel articles on Little Compton and Westport. In June, Tom Haines of the Globe Staff wrote a story about visiting Little Compton on a summer day and launching kayaks at the Sakonnet Point Club.

"Go with the Flow: Whether you are paddling or tasting pinot, water and wind play in this harbor, sun and soil make the landscape lush"

In August, Meredth Goldstein of the Golbe Staff spend a day in Westport writing of the charms of places to stay, dining, and visiting the wineries after dark: "There's a taste for all palates in the Bay State's Westport"

Last summer the Boston Globe also featured another article about Westport: "Sea of Tranquility: Quiet, welcoming town is rich in coastal beauty and pastoral beauty"

Travel and Leisure Magazine has also featured two articles this summer: One article about The Stone House Club opening in Little Compton and another article about Gray's Ice Cream at Tiverton Four Corners being chosen as one of the best ice cream stands in America!

"The Stone House Club Makes Waves in Little Compton" by Darrell Hartman

and "Gray's makes Best Ice Cream Shop list" by Ted Nesi