Business Notebook

WARWICK- If you're looking for something interesting and a little out of the ordinary for Father's Day, then make hay while the sun shines. That old expression, by the way, refers to the fact that to be used as hay, grass needs to be dried after it is cut. Since rain is likely to spoil it, farmers try to cut hay on a day when it seems likely that the sun will be around for a few days. There's more to learn about farming and at the First Annual Bellvale Farms Hay Harvest, Sunday, June 19, visitors will have a front row seat to some of the latest farm technology. They also will be invited to ride on a tractor-pulled wagon through several miles of prime farmland in historic Bellvale. Beginning at 11 a.m., visitors will drive through diversified crop fields, ridges and meadows, passing pumpkin patches, sunflowers, clover, alfalfa, corn and gourds. During the tour, members of the Buckbee family will present a special hay harvesting and baling demonstration. The tour ends with a country lunch of barbecued chicken, green peas, beans and biscuits, with homemade brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Visitors who can't make the first tour, which ends with lunch, can take the 2 p.m. tour, which begins with lunch. Since 1819, Bellvale Farms has been providing quality dairy products through seven generations of family farming. The farm is a Glynwood Harvest Farmer Award winner as well as an award recipient for the preservation of its historic circa 1900 dairy barn. Named as the First Dairy of Distinction in Orange County, Bellvale Farms is a diversified dairy and crop farm. In addition, the Bellvale Farms Creamery on 17A atop picturesque Mt. Peter offers 20 flavors of homemade ice cream. After each tour, everyone will have the opportunity to watch the new calves being fed and the cows milked. During the special Father's Day event, families can sponsor a calf. You can also have your picture taken with the calf of your choice and receive a Bellvale Farms Sponsorship and Pedigree Certificate. Children will receive goodie bags and educational materials about dairy farming, crop farming, and how ice cream is made at the nearby Creamery. Tickets for the scenic tour, hay harvest demo, country lunch, goodie bags, plus the late afternoon calf feeding and cow milking are $35 for adults, ages 15 and older, and $15 for children ages 5-14. Younger children are admitted free. Call 845-988-5414 to make a reservation or visit the Web site at: www.bellvalefarms.com/hayharvest.html. Lisa's Cookies at Frazzleberries Last February Lisa Ciriello, owner of Lisa's Cookie Shop, received an invitation from Marybeth Schlichting, owner of Frazzleberries, 24 Main St. "She asked me if I would like to participate at an in-store event for the Spring 2005 launch of the Vera Bradley handbag line," said Ciriello. "I spent the day at the store meeting customers and providing samples of my product. Based on the positive customer feedback, Marybeth asked if I would offer my cookies for sale at Frazzleberries. I've been a big fan of the store and have great respect for Marybeth as a businesswoman, so I was thrilled to add Frazzleberries to the list of shops that carry Lisa's Cookies." Ciriello reports that cookie sales have been brisk at Frazzleberries. "I've enjoyed a great working relationship with Marybeth and the rest of the staff. I also feel very fortunate to be doing business with other knowledgeable and supportive local business owners such as Steve and Jill Pennings and Brooke Martis-Sarmiento. Lisa's Cookie Shop is very proud to have relationships with each one of them. I'm thrilled to be able to do what I love in a community like Warwick where small, local businesses have the opportunity to thrive on the loyalty and support of its customers and its associations with fellow local businesses." Sidewalk Sale Participating Warwick merchants have begun planning for this year's "Sidewalk Sale." The annual downtown business district event is scheduled for July 9 - 10.