While vacationing in Nantucket, touring Bartlett’s Farm was one of my favorite activities. A 7th-generation family farm, Bartlett’s Farm is the oldest and largest farm in Nantucket. It is famous for its vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes and fresh-picked corn. Most Nantucket restaurants feature Bartlett’s Farm heirloom tomatoes on their menus.
In the early 1800’s when William Bartlett moved to Nantucket, he tilled the land with hand tools and a horse-drawn plow and grew vegetables for his family. He raised cows and started a dairy business. For several generations, Bartlett’s Farms raised cows and sheep.
When he was 13 years old, fifth generation Phil Bartlett started growing tomatoes in his grandmother’s yard. Along with his father John “June” Bartlett and brothers, they began to grow more vegetables. They started selling the homegrown tomatoes and vegetables from a truck parked on Main Street. When Phil went away to college and joined the Marines, “June” continued selling vegetables from the truck on Main Street.
A monument in honor of John “June” Bartlett’s was placed near the intersection of Federal Street and Main Street, where he parked the Bartlett’s Farm truck every day, for over two decades.
In 1959, Phil returned to Cornell. He met Dorothy. They were married and had two children. Dorothy taught 1st grade at Nantucket Elementary School. With her 3rd pregnancy and finding out she would have twins, Dorothy retired form teaching. While raising her children, she acquired a greenhouse and started gardening. She managed the greenhouses for 20 years, while raising her four children. In addition to having a green thumb, Dorothy baked and grew a bakery business.
In 1994, Bartlett’s Farm Cookbook was printed. With its success, the Bartletts opened a commercial kitchen.
With Phil and Dorothy’s hard work, Bartlett’s Farm turned into a lucrative enterprise. Today, Phil and Dorothy’s four children, Cynthia, John, David, and Daniel continue to operate the family farm.
Dorothy and Phil enjoy winters in Florida. Upon their return to Bartlett’s Farm, Phil may be found riding his tractor and keeping up with everything on Bartlett’s Farm. Dorothy enjoys giving tours of Bartlett’s Farm.
Bartlett’s Farm continues to sell produce and flowers from the truck on Main Street.
Bartlett’s Farm is a beloved community treasure of Nantucket!
That’s My Jam! Blueberry Jam made with east Texas blueberries grown in Winona Orchards.
Wild or freshly picked blueberries are the secret to the best flavor!
With the abundance of fresh picked berries, summer is a great time for making some jam. In less than an hour, a batch of Blueberry Jam is ready to pour into sterilized jars.
The Blueberry Jam is delicious served with homemade english muffins.
Fruit, sugar and lemon juice. Simple ingredients. Oh so sweet!
Servings1quart
Ingredients
2lbblueberries
1lemon - - - freshly squeezed lemon juice
5cupssugar, warmed
Instructions
Set the oven on the lowest setting.
Sterilize jars, lids, and tops. Place in the warm oven.
Warmed sugar --- Sugar will dissolve quickly in the fruit mixture if it is warmed first.
Add the sugar to a heatproof container. Place the sugar in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Add the blueberries and lemon juice to a preserving pan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices run free. Bring the mixture to a bowl, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the warmed sugar to the blueberry mixture, stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Increase the heat, boil the mixture rapidly, without stirring for 4 - 6 minutes or until until it reaches 22FºF.
Remove the pan from heat, skim off any froth from the surface of the jam, using a long-handled metal spoon. The mixture is hot!
Immediately pour the blueberry jam into the warm sterilized jars, within 1/8" of the tops.
The best Blueberries in Texas are grown at Winona Orchards, nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of east Texas. If you like the peaches, you are going to love their blueberries.
Winona Orchards grows five varieties of blueberries:
Tifblue
Brightwell
Premier
Alapaha
Climax
Winona Orchards blueberry bushes are planted in alternating rows so the bumble bees and honey bees can pollinate them. The bees work together to pollinate the blueberry bushes allowing the blueberries to grow. In the spring, beautiful white clusters of flowers pop up over the bushes. First the bumble bees crack open the tiny flowers. Next, the honey bees gather the pollen and transfer it between the male and female parts. Each blossom eventually becomes a blueberry.
The blueberries ripen at different times so harvesting takes up to seven passes per bush. First the blueberries are hard green, then reddish-purple, and finally blue. Sweet, ready to be picked. Winona Orchards’ blueberries are all hand picked!
They say everything’s bigger in Texas — and this holds true for a new partnership, Texas Monthly + Randa Duncan Williams. With footprints on the moon, the sky is not the limit for Randa’s plans for Texas Monthly. As the owner and chair of the new company she is committed to the print magazine, while expanding into other types of storytelling, such as podcasts and live events.
Reading Texas Monthly since I was a teenager, I can hardly wait to see how this Texas story unfolds!
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