Autumn has finally arrived. The cooler weather and changing leaves (the ones left after Irene blew through) are quite refreshing after the summer. What better place to experience it than in our diverse little state of Rhode Island. Besides the cities, like Providence and Newport, there are a number of rural communities which still have the family farms. I was reminded of that this past weekend as I visited one of my favorite farm stands in Little Compton. But while I was at the Young Family Farm, I happened upon a brochure for the Rhode Island Fruit Growers Association’s 2011 Farm Scavenger Hunt. Visiting some of the participating twenty-four farms is definitely a whole new way to tour Rhode Island in autumn. The hunt runs through December 31, 2011 and adds a new twist to the traditional fall activities, such as apple picking.
The goal of the contest is to either visit a minimum of twelve participating farms and match the correct picture clue, located on the brochure and website with the farm, or if you’re feeling even more adventurous, visit all of the twenty-four farms and fill out the farm hunt board. The first 100 correct entries from either competition win.
The beauty of this is stepping outside to enjoy the changing weather and scenery in the different areas of Rhode Island. At the same time, you are also supporting the Rhode Island Fruit Growers Association. This association works with URI and UMass on research to continue the production of healthy, delicious and fresh fruit.
Their website has tons of information on local farmers markets, grower information and even recipes to prepare the great produce grown right here. Make sure you check that out, even if you are not the “scavenger hunt” type of person.
If you have had power, cable and internet, or just a cell phone that works on controlled usage because your battery may die soon, you must have been following what Irene has left behind. Besides the streaking kid on The Weather Channel, the picture has been pretty bleak in places like North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. Watching historic covered bridges being washed away by flood waters is painful.
Locally, we have seen mostly tree damage, which in turn has been the culprit for downed power lines and power outages. We have a few pictures from the around our state, and (except for the power issue) it looks like we really dodged the bullet this time around.
Here’s a pictorial view from around the state submitted by our agents and staff:
As you may know, we hold a seasonal photo contest and the summer contest is always one of the best! There is nothing like summertime in New England and we have had some fantastic beach days in our little state of late.
We enjoy sharing the winning photos, and publish them across the web on various social media sites such as Facebook and Flickr. The winning photographs are also added to the slide show on our home page. Without further ado, this years winning photo was taken in Greene, Rhode Island by Liz Bodell from our Providence office and captures beautiful fog rolling past a dock. Congratulations Liz!
Liz Bodell – Greene, Rhode Island
Runner-up: Chris Whirlow – Town Beach, Block Island
Wanda Vanier – The Providence River
Holly Applegate – Elephant Rock Beach Club, Westport Harbor
Well, we made it to the end of 2010. The question we all have is: “What’s in store for 2011?” We will soon find out, but the only certainty is what happened last year. So, let’s recap what we saw and compare. Unit sales were lower than in 2009 but the average sales price was higher. Overall sales totals by dollars of properties sold were roughly the same. Therefore, a flat market. With these statistics, one can only write a boring article.
But here is something to ponder. Ten years from now, the buyers of properties this year may be seen as the intelligent investors. That makes one big assumption – a return to some normal growth in the economy will occur. There are indicators to make one think this will happen, but the past has made everyone cautious about making predictions of better times.
Why should you believe that statement about the buyers? Prices have started to stabilize and it seems that is partly due to people having a perceived value of what a particular property is worth. The perceived values and the actual prices are converging to the same number. This is not a perfect science or evaluation of prices, but it seems to be occurring.
As the economy in the area (and I include the Massachusetts and Connecticut economies in the “area” label, because so many of our residents work there) recovers to better levels, so will the conviction of buyers to come back into the market. At the same time, sellers will be less likely to move. That will begin the next climbing trend in prices. Then, more people will think about moving and the volumes could rise to past levels. Thus, the start of a new cycle.
Looking into the crystal ball, will this trend start in 2011? I’m still looking for that person with the accurate crystal ball.
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year in Rhode Island. The climate transitions from hot summer days to cool comfortable nights, perfect for wearing a light sweater. Rhode Island is home to some of the most stunning foliage in New England. The classic New England structural design, landscape and coastline make for a fantastic foliage drive.
There are fun activities to be had across the entire state. There is apple picking, pumpkin carving, festivals and more!
So, we’re taking a Poll. What is your favorite Fall activity?
We want to know!