Live Local

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Delaware has been known for generations for its farms. The First State’s rich agricultural history goes all the way back to the region’s earliest colonial settlers, who quickly realized Delaware’s fertile grounds and mild climate made it perfect for farming. Farming began in the colonial days with crops like rice, wheat and indigo which sustained Delawareans physically and financially. Over the years as America changed, so did Delaware; yet the focus on agriculture in the First State never went away. Three hundred years later, those of us in Delaware are still blessed with first-class locally grown produce.

Farms of the First State

We know many people enjoy pumpkin picking, apple picking, and cutting your own fresh Christmas trees during the Fall, so we want to bring awareness to a few incredible local farms that operate in the first state! To see a complete list of all the farms you can visit in Delaware, click the links directly below! We’ll also include a link to a handy harvest calendar for all the fruit and veggie lovers!

Delaware’s Pick Your Own Farm Directory

Annual Delaware Harvest Calendar

 

Fifer Orchards- Camden Wyoming, DE

You may not know this about Lessard Builders… our model home The Saltaire is in Lewes, but our main office is actually in Camden Wyoming! So, Fifers is like our de-facto hometown orchard! We love Fifers and all the options they have for picking. They offer pick-your-own apples, a pumpkin picking patch, corn mazes, freshly made homemade apple cider, and a store filled with tons of prepicked produce. Fifer’s also hosts an annual “Fall Fest” in October, an annual Strawberry festival in May and an annual Peach festival held on the first Saturday in August. Fifers is open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. For more information visit their website https://www.fiferorchards.com/ .

 

Landis Tree Farm- Harbeson, DE

Landis’ Tree Farm was founded started in the early 1990s and has established itself as one of Delaware’s best places to get a fresh cut Christmas tree. What started two decades ago as a few trees on a 20-acre property as grown into a massive tree farm with a wide variety of Christmas trees. Looking for a traditional Frasier Fir, White Pine or Douglas Fir tree? They’ve got them. Looking for a Christmas tree of a different variety? They grow Caanan Firs, Concolor Firs, White Spruce and others. The fine folks at Landis allow for selecting your own tree to cut down fresh or picking from a variety of Pre-Cut Frasier or Douglas Fir trees. They have trees of all sizes, wreaths, memorial wreaths and more available and generally open on weekends after Thanksgiving. Landis’ also offers complimentary hot beverages and cookies while you’re searching in the cold for your tree! For more information visit their website, http://www.landistreefarm.com/ .

 

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No Tricks, All Treats

It’s almost that time of year again, and Coastal Delaware no longer slows down in the Fall like it once did. We appreciate living in Delaware all year long, but there is something special about Fall in Delaware. After most of us spend all summer at the beach, the cool ocean breeze, corn fields and farmland that makes Delaware perfect for the Fall. We love to share the word about the best places and the most fun amusements you can enjoy in Delaware, so here we go! No matter what you like to do, whether it’s enjoy a cold drink or spend time with your kids, there is a ton you can enjoy in October.

We’ll start off by providing you the links to the most comprehensive October activity lists that already exist, and then below that hit on a few of our Lessard Builders favorites for October 2018 Fall Fun. The two links below are exceptional websites that have compiled all the October fun going on in Delaware and on Delmarva.

Visit Delaware’s Complete Fall and Halloween Event List

Delaware Haunted House’s Delaware 2018 Halloween Event Calendar

Those of us at Lessard Builders may not be full fledged Halloween experts, but we know a thing or two about Reese’s Cups, Snickers bars, trick or treating and Fall fun. Here are three local October events that are our:

October 2018 fun favorites

Boast The Coast, Saturday October 6th &  Coast Day, Sunday October 7th

Coast Day has been a University of Delaware Fall tradition for decades. It’s sibling event, the Boast the Coast celebration, is occurring for the 23rd year in conjunction with it. These back-to-back local festivals celebrate Delaware’s relationship with the ocean and Coastal Delaware’s centuries of nautical heritage. If you are looking for some first weekend of October fun, look no further!

We recommend you start off the festivities on Saturday exploring Downtown Lewes and Canalfront Park for Boast the Coast. Boast the Coast is a psuedo festival where many local businesses set up for a huge sidewalk sale with the very best of their ocean spirit: so, you can expect tons of food (seafood in particular), vendors, and activities. There will also be an Oktoberfest celebration from 2pm to 6pm in Canalfront Park for the second year in a row.

The next day, Sunday, University of Delaware’s Hugh R. Sharp (Pilottown Road) campus hosts their traditional Coast Day event! Coast Day is magnificent because it provides a fun, engaging, hands on event where people of all ages can learn about the ocean, modern ocean research, and our ocean history. Coast Day activities include seafood cooking demonstrations from local chefs, ship tours, touch tanks filled with ocean creatures for kids to learn about, food vendors, shopping, and over a dozen rooms filled with different talks and presentations. 

Bottom line: Boast The Coast and Coast Day are worth a definite earmark for the 6th and 7th!

 

Rehoboth Beach Sea Witch Parade Oct 26th-28th 

Sea Witch Festival Program- https://www.beach-fun.com/images/SWProgram2018.AsOf9.14.18.pdf

We love the Sea Witch Festival and Parade! The Sea Witch Festival is one of Coastal Delaware’s biggest Fall attractions and has continued to improve and grow with each year. 2018 should be more fun than ever. Residents and visitors alike flock to downtown Rehoboth on Saturday to watch as hundreds of local businesses and residents parade down the Rehoboth avenue in extravagant costumes and on ornately crafted floats! The parade and parade float/costume contest is one of the highlights, but there are also dozens of other activities. From a “witches cackle” contest, to dog costume competitions, to face painting and trick or treating you won’t want to miss this crown jewel of Fall Fun in Coastal Delaware.

Oh, be sure to keep an eye out for us and our Lessard Builders float in the parade on Saturday!

 

Cape Henlopen State Park’s 30th Children’s Halloween Fantasy Trail

Saturday October 26th 6pm – 8pm,  Sunday October 27th 6pm – 7:30pm

One of the best child-friendly Halloween activities in Delaware. Cape Henlopen State Parks transforms into a Halloween Fantasy Trail wonderland the weekend before Halloween. The State Park sets up their Fantasy Trail as a walking trick-or-treat trail filled with candy, toys, and it’s lined with all your kids favorite storybook characters along the way. Once your kiddies are finished trick or treating there is also entertainment, games and activities taking place under their big tent each evening. It’s a great way for you to take your kids whether you’re solo or you have a huge group of their friends. If you have questions about Cape Henlopen’s Fantasy Trail, call 302-645-6852.

 

We hope you all enjoy your October! 

 

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Have you ever longed for a quick escape? Just an hour just to clear your head? Perhaps some place that is quiet and allows you to let the tension of everyday life slip away?

For those of you who live in the Wilmington, Philadelphia, D.C, or New York metropolitan areas, the vision of hopping into your car and escaping for a short while likely led you to imagine one of two places: a spa or salon of some sort, or a tropical island filled with Daiquiris and lounge chairs. 

Within the bustling pace and pressure of life in the Northeast, we all know there are fewer and fewer opportunities to truly ‘get away’ or decompress. Yet as the days grow longer and the birds again begin to chirp, Delaware begins to reveal one of its most cherished, rare, and prized possessions: it’s protected lands and natural serenity.

What do I mean? As the weather warms, Delaware’s State Parks and Wildlife Preserves begin to beam with life and offer the weary something rare; an escape from civilization that is close to home.

What makes Delaware’s State Parks and Preserves so unique is that they have something to offer for everyone; and it is right around this time each Spring that these gems awaken and come back to life. For those of you that love a quiet run or bicycle ride in the woods, Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes offers exercise enthusiasts dozens of scenic paved and unpaved trails to explore and escape to. For my fellow nature and animal lovers out there, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton offers safe haven to dozens of rare insect, plant, and animal species. For thrill seekers, ‘Go Ape’ in Lums Pond State Park has over forty treetop zip lines that you can book a 2-3 hour time to adventure and swing through. Yes, forty! It is these well maintained and sometimes well hidden natural escapes that makes everyday life in Delaware so different than elsewhere in the Northeast.

One of my personal favorite places to escape is Assawoman Wildlife Area.

Assawoman Wildlife Area is an escape with a feel all its’ own, located off the beaten path on Camp Barnes Road in Frankford. This beautiful land was once home to local Native American tribes and within its’ acres of beauty lie untouched lands to stroll through, bicycle and walking trails to follow, over a dozen places for those who like to hunt, free boat ramps for boating and fishing enthusiasts, and many places to launch a Kayak or Canoe. Yet even with so many things to offer, this escape remains so well hidden that in all of my visits I’ve never seen more than two or three other people. It’s one of those places where you can put on some sunglasses and stroll about without fear of being bothered or getting lost.

As the days grow longer and warmer, it’s these options that make living in Delaware so beautifully refreshing, different and exciting. If I had to narrow my entire two-plus years of living in Delaware to one life lesson this state has taught me, it would be this… even in your own back yard, you never know what diamonds in the rough you may discover until you look.

For those of you who want to explore, escape, discover new adventures and learn more about the plentiful natural beauties of The First State, included below is information for all of the State Parks and Wildlife areas.

I hope to see you all escape the day to day bustle of life to soak in a little more nature, animals and sunshine. Enjoy your adventures my friends! 

 

Delaware State Parks

Information for all of Delaware’s 14 State parks can be found at http://www.destateparks.com/

 

Delaware Wildlife Areas and Preserves

Information for all of Southern Delaware’s Wildlife refuges can be found at https://www.visitsoutherndelaware.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-adventures/wildlife-refuges-sanctuaries

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Area- https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bombay_Hook/

Okie Nature Wildlife Preserve- This locally donated wildlife preserve does not have a website or phone number but is located at: Marian R Okie Road, Millsboro DE 19966

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Well, it doesn’t feel too much like frostbite weather. Yet if you live in Coastal Delaware, you know one day it can be so warm you’re running outside with your dog and then the next there are 35 mile-per-hour winds so cold that your fingers feel like popsicles.

Winter has been quite good to Delaware so far, but when the inevitable cold weather does set in, you don’t have to spend all winter freezing. One of the many exceptional aspects of Coastal Delaware living is the food, and as Winter deepens, we wanted share four of our Lessard team’s favorite “cold weather comfort food” dishes!

 

1)      The Chili from Crooked Hammock Brewery

Imagine this- The first spoonful of steaming hot goodness and your tongue begins to dance, a perfect balance of spicy and savory awakening your taste buds. You take a second spoonful and are amazed as a smooth balance of shredded cheese perfectly complements the explosion of meaty chili flavor. Yes, the chili at Crooked Hammock Brewery is that good. The local Lewes brewpub hits it out of the park with their chili and in our opinion Crooked Hammock’s chili is one of best cold weather culinary delicacies your money can buy in Coastal Delaware. It’s also served with a huge pile homemade tortilla chips, so whether you’re looking for a warm-you-up appetizer or a light meal, this local dish won’t disappoint. Whether you’re in the mood for chili or a cocktain we highly recommend visiting http://www.crookedhammockbrewery.com/ for more!

 

2)      The Mac from Grandpa MAC

Is it just me or is there something about a hot dish of homemade pasta that can warm you up on even the coldest of days? Well Grandpa Mac in Rehoboth Beach captures that Sunday-macaroni-dinner-with-the-family-feel and then takes it to another stratosphere. When you walk into Grandpa Mac you won’t be disappointed — the menu offers over a dozen signature ‘mac’ dishes or offers pickier patrons the option to build-their-own-pasta bowl which allows you to choose the kind of pasta, sauce, cheese, and meat you want. The service is speedy and the menu offers eaters a crazy number of pastabilities with a very Delaware twist on it. You simply can’t go wrong with anything on the menu on a frosty night, and we especially love the ‘Hot Blue Hen’ and the ‘Chowder Head’! Yummmmy! Check out http://www.grandpamac.com/ for more menu information.

 

3)      The Shepherd’s Pie from Go Fish! and Go Brit!

When frostbite would set into the hills of the Ireland, local families would stoke their fires, line their pie dishes with mashed up potato and then use a filling of leftover roasted meat so their family could have a hearty hot meal to combat the cold Irish nights. Some traditions just age well and a hot dish of Shepherd’s Pie on a cold night is one of those. Go Fish! and Go Brit! make their Shepherd’s Pie just about as authentic as you’d find in Galway; every order is made fresh, every order comes with a creamy, crisp mashed potato crust, and every Pie comes filled with a bubbling core of authentic Irish beef and vegetable. If you close your eyes while you take a bite, you can almost hear the Guinness being poured in the local pub. The Bangers and Mash are out-of-this-world, as well! Perfection for dinner on a frosty night! Check out http://gobrit.com/ and http://www.gofishrehoboth.com/ for more foreign frostbite fighting foods!

 

4)      The Pot Roast from Jimmy’s Grille

From Ireland we cross the Atlantic back to Grandma’s kitchen. There aren’t too many foods that scream ‘American Comfort Food’ and make you feel like a kid again quite like a plate of steaming hot Pot Roast. Jimmy’s Grille captures that Grandma’s Pot Roast taste in award winning fashion. Each plate of Pot Roast comes with a heaping pile of pull apart fork tender beef seated nicely on a bed of traditional vegetables and all smothered in Jimmy’s savory homemade brown gravy. Not only is the Pot Roast spot on, but the price is spot on as well- giving you a whole lot of delicious hot food for not a whole lot of dollars. Jimmy’s Pot Roast is a winner on every level and the picture-perfect food to warm you up when we face that next cold Delaware night. For their menu, hours, and more information visit http://www.jimmysgrille.org/

 

What is your go-to food on a cold night? Did we miss any delicious local foods that you turn to when you want to fight the frostbite? Let us know with a comment below!

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In 2010 American Express launched a Small Business Saturday campaign to encourage consumers to remember the little local guys during the holiday shopping season. Small Business Saturday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and since 2010 the trend has grown exponentially. American Express has done a great job with providing marketing tools to the small businesses to help communicate the “Shop Small” message to local communities and simultaneously offer a Small Business Saturday incentive to bring people to their store. If you are purchasing items with your American Express card, you can register you card ahead of time to receive statement credits by purchasing at verified small businesses.

Shop Small at All Climate Storage Center
All Climate Storage Center: Shop Small Marketing Image

We think that you should shop small all year round but love that there is a day dedicated to supporting small business. It helps create awareness in our small state and gives small business owners a platform to say what they do and why they do it.

This post’s intention is to remind you the importance of living local, shopping small and supporting the community you live in. You’ll see statistics pulled from resources around the web, primarily the American Express Open Website. I’ve also created #ShopSmall and #LiveLocal images specific to Delaware. Feel free to use them and share them with your community Thanksgiving week and throughout the year!

Small Business Helps Community

One more thing – share with us some of your favorite places to eat and shop small on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. If you want to share why one of the reasons you will shop small this Saturday- we’d love to hear your thoughts too!

I’ll go first! I love the experience that comes with shopping small – the “mom and pop shop” feel that you get from a unique atmosphere and friendly, knowledgeable service. I love that you can talk to the owners and truly see what makes them so passionate and thrilled to do what they do. They are always asking for feedback and trying to see what they can do to fine tune the art of their industry.

Here are a few of my favorite “little (but awesome!) local guys” in Delaware:

Nottinghill Coffee, Lewes, Delaware
Teller Wines, Lewes, Delaware
Chateleine’s (Jewelry), Lewes, Delaware
a (MUSE.), Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Pickled Pig Pub, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Pig + Fish, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

The Backyard, Milton, Delaware
Dolce Coffee & Bakery, Milford, Delaware
Abbott’s Grill, Milford, Delaware

Witt Brother’s Market, Wyoming Delaware
Delaware Bay Trading Company, Camden, Delaware
Fifer’s Orchard, Wyoming, Delaware
TA Farms, Wyoming, Delaware

Bayard Pharmacy, Dover Delaware
Bel Boutique, Dover Delaware
Frankfurt Bakery & Deli, Dover Delaware
Dinos & Darlings, Dover, Delaware
Restaurant 55, Dover, Delaware
Kaizen Karate Academy, Dover, Delaware

Painted Stave Distillery, Smyrna, Delaware
The Young Bean Cafe, Clayton, Delaware
Willey Farms, Townsend, Delaware
Cantwell’s Tavern, Odessa, Delaware

1861 Gastropub, Middletown, Delaware
First & Little Boutique, Middletown, Delaware
Purple Sage Tea, Middletown, Delaware
Fromage Cheese Shop, Middletown, Delaware
La Piazza Italian Restaurant, Middletown, Delaware

Soffritos Italian Grill, Newark, Delaware
The Corner Bistro, Wilmington, Delaware
BellaVista Trattoria & Pizzeria, Wilmington, Delaware

Outside of Delaware:
We had such an amazing time here that they are certainly worth mentioning to remember the little guys when you are on vacation too!

Oh My Chocolate, Stevensville, Maryland
Southsides Bar & Grill, Chesapeake City, Maryland
The Aldrich House, Williamsburg Virginia
Tria Wine Bar, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
The Lotus Guest House, Provincetown Cape Cod Massachusetts
The Pickle Jar Kitchen, Falmouth, Cape Cod Massachusetts
The Quahog Dive Bar, Falmouth, Cape Cod Massachusetts

I’d love to hear your favorite places to live local!

Shop Small Business Delaware

Shop Small Delaware

American Business Story: Shop Small

Shop Small Delaware

Shop Small Community Local

Shop Small Infographic

Shop Small Live Delaware

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Keep It Local Delaware

Over the past few years, Delaware has been making headlines as one of the “best places to live” and “best places to retire” due to affordable property taxes, low income tax and reasonable travel time to Philadelphia, New York and Washington D.C. While these are the most talked about features that bring visitors to our state, those that live or spend a little extra time here understand why people fall in love with Delaware’s small town charm. From the beaches Lewes and Rehoboth to the capital, downtown Dover and the northern towns of the state like Middletown, Greenville and Trolley Square, there are so many local shops, restaurants and events distinctive to Delaware. There is always an opportunity to catch a nearby event like peach festivals, brewery tours, wine tastings, music festivals, the infamous Apple Scrapple Festival and of course, the good ol’ Punkin Chunkin.

5 Reasons to Live Local Delaware

1. Preserve Small Town Character & History

Delaware has the small town feel and historical character that you see on postcards with brick buildings, authentic cedar shake exteriors, lighthouses, cobblestone roads and traditional farm houses. Local business owners are more willing to keep the historical factor of the area, striving to blend in artistically with the surrounding town compared to the bigger “box” stores looking to replicate their chain of nationwide stores.

2. Locals Give Back To The Community

According to NFIB research, more than 9 in 10 small businesses owners give back to community. Studies show that local non-profits receive substantial continued support from locally owned and operated businesses. Local business owners care about the community they live in and often serve on boards to support numerous causes and community interests.

3. What Goes Around Comes Around 

Money spent locally has 3 times the impact on a community than dollars spent in large chains or other places. The concept is fairly straightforward, if you shop at locally owned and operated businesses, your dollars provide for local families, schools, community events and non-profits.

4. Shop Local To Keep A Relevant Supply Of (Diverse) Products

I’ll never forget the day that I stopped into the nearest Delaware Wal-mart to grab Old Bay for a birthday crab feast we were hosting and they did not have it available.  This scenario is a prime example of how national stores tend to stock items based on regional or national numbers, not by local demand. Local stores tend to have a broader range of choices because they cater to the needs of local people. In most cases, they will even start carrying a new product per your request.

5. Mom & Pop Shops: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Who doesn’t love the “mom and pop shop” in their town? They add a level of character and friendly service exclusive to their town and community. Local business owners view their work as an extension of themselves and bring an extra level of care to what they do. They get to know who you are and if there is a question or concern, you are only a few people away from the decision makers. You won’t have to submit a claim, complain on social media or call a 1 800 number repeatedly to receive service.

 

These are just few of the many benefits that come with supporting the area we live in. Do you try to “keep it local”? What would you add to this list? 

 

Thank you for reading Live Delaware! We hope you’ll visit often. You might even find or discover a new favorite place to eat, shop or live! Have a favorite local business, non-profits or event in Delaware? We’d love to hear about them. You can fill out this referral questionnaire, tweet them to us or start a discussion in the comments below!

Don’t forget to support the local small businesses who support the area where you live – Live Local Delaware!