Sylvester Manor / Aug: Veggie Derby 8th / Cocktails 15th / Tours 6th & 22nd | Sculpture | Calendar of Events …

The Farm is firing on all cylinders right now. There is an abundance of crops to harvest, especially now that tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and peppers are coming in, and we’ve been blessed with favorable weather. Intermittent rain has meant that instead of irrigating, we can focus on transplanting, harvesting and everyone’s favorite, weeding. Both the CSA and Farmstand are overflowing with Sylvester Manor produce thanks to our new Farm Manager Matt and team of apprentices.Our volunteers have been especially helpful and hard working this summer. They are at the Farm nearly every morning of the week, and we could always use more. Please contact us if you’d like to get involved.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t also thank Chef Susan, the creator of our Manor Made line of products, as well as our Farmstand Manager Jennifer and her team of retail associates. With their help we are cooking and selling more Sylvester Manor grown produce than ever before.

August brings some of everyone’s favorite summer produce to the Farmstand. Our fields are overflowing with a colorful variety of tomatoes and peppers, along with fresh herbs, eggplant, onions, garlic and potatoes. Our fresh eggs and woodland-raised pork are stocked daily in our fridge and freezer section. 

In the Manor Made kitchen, Chef Susan continues to showcase the best of the season with handcrafted specialties made from fresh farm produce. Alongside her freshly baked baguettes and pocket pies, you’ll find a rotating selection of soups. She’s also preparing flavorful dips and spreads like Baba Ganoush, Tangy Corn Relish, Basil Pesto, and a delicious assortment of quiches.

Stop by our Manor Mercantile section, where you’ll find our signature Sylvester Manor aprons and T-shirts, Cornelia’s notecards, and a thoughtfully curated selection of host and hostess gifts.

Follow along for harvest updates, Farmstand restocks, Manor Made features, event announcements, and behind-the-scenes moments from the fields:

Facebook: The Farm at Sylvester Manor
Instagram: @thefarmatsylvestermanor

August Farmstand Hours
Open Daily
9am-5pm

Led by acclaimed British singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Hunter, the band brings its distinctive blend of soul, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll to the Manor for a summer evening by the creek.

The James Hunter Six has toured and performed with Van Morrison, who selected the band to open his Boston shows earlier this year. Watch The James Hunter Six perform on CBS Morning’s Saturday Sessions!

New York City’s high-energy traditional blues duo New Moon Acoustic Blues will open the concert.

The James Hunter Six
Saturday, August 8
4:30-7:30pm
Creekside at Sylvester Manor
$55/person; children 9 and under are free

*Eventbrite is the only official ticket seller for this concert. Please be wary of purchasing tickets on sites such as gotickets.com, etickets.com, and stubhub.com. We cannot verify the authenticity of those tickets.*

Sylvester Manor will host its 4th annual Vegetable 500. “V500” is a farmer’s version of the pinewood derby race! Haven’t you ever wanted to see a flying zucchini? Or a carrot race a cucumber? Well, we farmers at Sylvester Manor have! We’ll be setting up the official Pinewood Derby race track and are gearing up for a race to be remembered. All community members are welcome to enter their prize-winning vegetable race car and participate in the family fun on our farm! 

Saturday, August 8
10:30am-12pm
Windmill Field
Free, Open to the Public

Join us for a festive summer evening celebrating the bounty of Sylvester Manor Farm and the community that makes it all possible.

Enjoy cocktails and seasonal bites, an electric tractor demonstration, live music, and more, all set among the fields beneath our historic 1810 Windmill.

Saturday, August 15
5-7pm
Windmill Field
$195 per person (a portion of every ticket is a tax-deductible donation that helps sustain the work and mission of our Farm)

Join us for discussions and a tour of the Manor House and the Dering family during the Revolutionary War years.

This summer, tour guests will view the first-floor rooms of the Manor House while we discuss the Dering family’s patriotic views in the lead-up to the American Revolution and their time in exile from 1776-1783. 

Guests will also get a glimpse of the work being done in the House as we prepare for our upcoming restoration project. We will showcase select pieces from the Manor collection and share how we are taking steps to inventory and catalogue them.

Thursday, August 6
2-3:30pm
and
Saturday, August 22
1-2:30pm

Manor House
$25 per person

Recommended for ages 10+. The tour is not ADA-accessible. 

Guided Tours Available Every Other Sunday
10:00-11:30am
Manor Grounds
Free; preregistration is required

This summer Andrea Branz has devoted hours to piecing together puzzles from our Collection as part of the effort to catalog and pack all the items inside the 1737 Manor House. These puzzles are contained in jars and original boxes without reference photos, so Andrea’s work allows us to record what the puzzles are intended to portray. Additionally, it is important for us to understand the size and number of pieces in each puzzle for our records, including the documentation of any missing pieces, of which there have been fewer than expected! Thank you Andrea for all your hard work. If this sounds like something you might be interested in helping us with, please reach out to esherrod@sylvestermanor.org.

The trails and grounds are open for your enjoyment, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Pick up a map highlighting our four walking trails (Creekside, Woodlands, Old Growth Forest and Farm). Paper maps are available at the kiosk at the front entrance to the Manor and also at the Welcome kiosk located by the parking area near the bathrooms. You can always download a digital version by clicking the button below.

Due to storm damage, the Land Bridge is temporarily closed. Please adhere to the posted trail closures.

Leashed dogs are welcome, but please pick up after your dog and dispose of the waste properly. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. The public restrooms are open to the public.

Download the “Sylvester Manor Walking Tour” from the App Store for a self-guided tour of the grounds. Use the app and learn more about our historic property at your own pace.