Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

BLOOMFIELD, CT — Question ... What do you get when you combine a history of prized cows with with an iconic department store and an educational facility? The answer is ... the latest Connecticut Hidden Gem — the 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm in Bloomfield.

The farm us dubbed, "a magical place where children and families can find a safe environment for breathing-space-respites, recreational trails, farm-animals, and educational hands-on farm-based learning."

The founder of the farm was Beatrice Fox Auerbach. She was known for having prized cows and chickens in the mid-1920s.

But she was also a pioneering woman in business as the first president of Hartford's G. Fox & Co. The farm was donated by Auerbach's grandchildren to the non-profit 4-H Education Center in 1976 with an agreement to maintain the property as open space and provide community resources where children, families, and individuals can learn about and enjoy the ambiance of the farm.

You can find more information on the website www.auerfarm.org as well as Facebook (4-H Education Center at Auerfarm) and Instagram (Auerfarm).

The farm is open to the public seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. After the clocks are turned back, the hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner

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