Locals talk

Jaap Molenaar

Owner of Pioneer Gardens

My favorite things to do include:
Family activities like hiking and canoeing/kayaking. Road biking, chicken BBQ with the Lions Club
I was born and raised in:
The Netherlands, on a small tulip and vegetable farm in the coastal region close to Amsterdam where besides helping with all duties on the farm and enjoying it I got taught by my grand father to play the saxophone and played in an orchestra and in bands.
I currently live:
In a small 1840 house about one mile south of Old Deerfield close to the Deerfield river and next to my farm/nursery
How I earn my bread and butter:
I own a wholesale perennial plant nursery, Pioneer Gardens. We grow and import/export/resell starter plants for nurseries in the eastern US and Canada. We grow plants on 40 acres of fields and 40 acres of cover crops as well as 2 acres of greenhouses .
Five things I love about the Deerfield and Pioneer Valley area:
Deerfield is a small enough town so that people stay long enough to care about the town and its people; it's close to bigger towns with good food, culture, etc.; it's liberal in many ways; beautiful rivers, mountains and open space; not too far from the ocean (growing up within 3 miles of the north sea, having the ocean within a couple hours drive is nice)
My favorite local hidden treasures you shouldn't miss:
PVMA (Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Old Deerfield Museum), Mt. Toby State Forest, the Deerfield River, Berkshire Brewing Company, Polish deli BBA in South Deerfield, Pekarski Sausage in South Deerfield, the "Rock" (Pocumtuck Ridge)
My perfect day spent in the Deerfield and Pioneer Valley area:
Summer: Kayak from Bardswell Ferry to the north meadows, picnicking and swimming along the way
Winter: Downhill or cross-country skiing and later a homemade German meal next to a woodstove