Fall has arrived and Westchester County’s Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center is celebrating this bountiful season with a holiday food drive. During the months of November and December, visitors can help the less fortunate by dropping off canned and dry goods at the farm stand.

Cooking lessons sponsored by Something Good in the World continue through the fall. Participants will learn to make winter soups and cook with fall produce.

Visit the Hilltop Hanover Farm BLOG written by seasoned farmer Mary Ellen and newbie farmer Jenny. The blog is aimed at providing agricultural and environmental sustainability information, as well as letting you know about events, workshops, projects and an insight into the daily life here on the farm. You can "ask the farmer" by sending your questions their way to help develop the blog into a real resource for all home gardeners and area farmers alike.

The farm stand and U-pick garden are closed for the season.

Throughout Nov. and Dec.
Holiday Food Drive
Tuesday through Friday
Drop off in the Farm Stand
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Our farm stand has been a wonderful place to purchase fresh farm grown produce throughout the year. Now it is time to give back to those less fortunate, so we have turned our farm stand into a receiving center for canned and dried goods to be donated to local food pantries.

Sunday, Nov. 1
“Farm to Table” cooking class: Fall Harvest
Barn F
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Join personal chef and proprietor of Healthy Culinary Creations LLC, Laurie Gershgorn, for the last “Farm to Table” class this season. As Mother Nature prepares for the cooler weather, we will enjoy the fall harvest of squash, root vegetables and hardy greens to prepare warming, comforting dishes to take you through the long cold winter months. Cost is $30 for adults, $10 for each child per class. Registration is required and space is limited. Visit Something Good in the World for more information or a listing of additional classes. Call them at (914) 737-7931 to registerfor.

Thursday, Nov. 12
Hilltop Hanover Farm Book Club
Barn F
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The once a month Hilltop Hanover Book Club will meet to discuss "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. The book uses a study in rural China as a jumping off point to explore the link between diet and disease, as well as the nutrition confusion created by food industry lobbyists, the government, and scientific studies. The club is free, but registration is required. Call (914) 962-2368 for more information or to register.

Saturday, Nov. 21
Spin/Knit In
Building A
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Join seasoned spinners and knitters in an informal atmosphere where you can meet new friends and share ideas, tips and spinning stories. The event is free but registration is required. Bring your lunch. To register or for more information, contact Teresa at Hayslope@optonline.net or Lucinda at jzygala@earthlink.net.

Saturday, Nov. 21
Winter Soups
Barn F
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
When it gets cold outside, there is nothing better than a big bowl of hot soup! Come into the farm’s kitchen to learn some fantastic recipes for comforting winter soups made with farm fresh ingredients. The cost is $15 per person; registration is required. Please call (914) 962-2368 for more information or to register.

Friday, Nov. 27
Hike off your turkey dinner at the farm
Meet in front of Building C
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Join farm staff to hike Hilltop Hanover’s wonderful woodland trails and work off some of those extra Thanksgiving calories. Enjoy the weather, meet new friends, and learn about the 3.5 miles of woodland trails at Hilltop Hanover Farm. The hike is free and will be canceled if there is rain. Hike starts promptly at 2:15; no reservations are required. Wear appropriate footwear and clothing, park in gravel lots and not on the main road. For more information call (914) 962-2368. This event is sponsored by Westchester County.

Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center is a working farm and environmental educational center, located in Yorktown Heights, NY. Westchester County purchased the 180-acre former dairy farm in 2003 for agricultural preservation, drinking water protection and the promotion of environmental stewardship through demonstration projects and programs for sustainability. General admission is free and the farm is open to the public. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farm is closed to the public Sundays and Mondays unless noted for special events. Trails are open year-round from dawn to dusk.

Many Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center programs are part of Be Fit Westchester, a county-wide effort to get people to eat smarter and play harder every day.

Hilltop Hanover Farm is located at 1271 Hanover Street in Yorktown Heights. It can be reached via the Taconic State Parkway. Take the Millwood/Route 100 exit to Route 100 north. Turn left onto Route 118. Make a right onto Hanover Street. The farm is on the left. The farm is accessible to the disabled with assistance.

For more information or to register for a program, call Hilltop Hanover Farm at (914) 962-2368. All programs are free and open to everyone unless otherwise noted.