Final Finishings for Fresh & Fancy's White Barn Opening

With less than 72 hours before opening the doors of her White Barn to New Milford, Oradell, River Edge, and all towns near and far, Meg Low remains as cool as one of her farm-grown cucumbers as men rush around her measuring, cutting, sawing and hammering.

Without a doubt, this is Low's labor of love.

"I want our farm to be just like the old-time family-run farms like Tice's Farm was," she said. "I want this to be the new place to start family traditions."

From the moment you cross the footbridge you have entered the Secret Garden with its vibrant colored perennials, assorted Adirondack chairs, wheelbarrows filled with dirt and clay pots filled with fragrant herbs. There is little doubt that this farm was redesigned with the imagination of child in mind.

The second of four children, resident of Oradell and graduate of St. Joseph's, Meg envisions Fresh & Fancy to be both a nature center--where kids can learn the origin of plants, learn what plants are native species to the area and learn how to plant and grow--to a farm where kids can learn about sustainability.

The White Barn will include a teaching kitchen, a craft center where families can show up any time during the day to do crafts and an area where kids can come to plant.  

Low said that 90 percent of the materials used inside the White Barn are repurposed. From tables and chairs to the interior lumber cut from trees felled by Superstorm Sandy.

Saturday, Fresh & Fancy will celebrate its third season with the opening the new White Barn. There will be all-day crafts and planting for kids, complimentary farm-made teas, jams and breads, and a visit from the previous owners--Sharron & Debi Klinger.

"There are no clocks here on the farm," Low said. "This is the place where time stands still and imaginations are free to run wild."

Meg Low invites everyone to the grand opening of the White Barn this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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