Rice fruit farm

! KEITH O’CONNOR  NATE BLAIS

Rice Fruit Farm in Wilbraham is much more than its name implies.

“We call it the quintessential New England farm stand. But we’re also a restaurant, ice cream shop and a place you can come to buy convenience items like milk, eggs, juice and more. We’re a destination spot today for folks near and far,” said co-owner Anthony Maloni, III.

A Wilbraham institution for over 100 years, Rice Fruit Farm was founded in 1894 and for many years was operated by Jesse L. Rice, a third generation owner of the farm, who after his son Wayne died in 2007, had no family to continue to run the business. When he later became ill, Rice reluctantly put the property up for sale in 2009 and died the following year.

Considered by many as a landmark in town serving regulars who came for breakfast and lunch and to purchase fresh fruit and baked goods, Rice Fruit Farm provided first jobs for many of the town’s teenagers.

Maloni and his brother Dominic eventually purchased the property in November 2012 and re-opened the business in April 2015.

“We were originally looking for a new spot to sell our ice cream and figured the site would be a good location. Also, with our real estate and business backgrounds we knew that we could figure out the rest of the business that was once housed on the farm and make a real go of it,” Maloni said.

Today, Maloni noted he feels more like a “steward” of Rice Fruit Farm than its owner and he said he is “okay with that.”

“I had visited Rice Fruit Farm as a customer before it closed down and at the time didn’t realize how important it was to the community. Everyone seems to have a story about the farm - how they always visited the farm stand with their grandfather or how they would stop to pick up donuts after church on Sunday or memories of holding their first job here,” Maloni said.

“It’s as if people take ownership of the building when they visit us, and they are proud to have Rice Fruit Farm remaining in the community. Because it meant so much to so many people, we wanted to keep the same name and preserve as much as possible the original feel of the property. So, in our restoration which took two and a half years, we restored the 1924 barn to its original beauty. And by the time we opened our doors again to the public, they were welcomed with a mix of the old and the new and every day we hear someone saying ‘thank you’ for what we did,’ and it feels good,” he added.

seat for breakfast,” Maloni said about the popularity of their restaurant operation.

The breakfast menu consists mainly of sandwiches - two cage free eggs grilled on your choice of ciabatta, bagel or croissant and offered up in seven styles from their Steak N Egger and Bada Bing to traditional Egg and Cheese and Western. When lunchtime comes around, there are several style hot dogs to choose from including the famous “Long Dog” found at Cindy’s Drive-in, as well as a Grilled Cheese with a tomato option, Toasted B.L.T., Grilled Tuna Roll, and hot soup including broccoli cheddar, turkey lasagna, Italian wedding and pasta fagioli.

The quaint dining room featuring both booths and tables - they restored original trestle tables from MassMutual and built a large community table with wood found in the barn - is appointed with new decorations and memories from the past from original maple and oak flooring in the ice cream area to local artists showcasing their art on the dining area walls courtesy of the Scantic Valley and Wilbraham Art Leagues.

In addition to indoor seating, there are tables outside for those who prefer to dine al fresco, and there is a warming fire pit when the cooler weather sets in. Diners outdoors are serenaded on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings by local bands and musicians weather permitting in spring, summer and fall.

“The bakery was well-known for its muffin tops and pies and we have continued the tradition that customers loved for so many years along with fresh-baked cookies, cider donuts, brownies and bagels that we bring in locally from Tandem Bagel Co.,” Maloni said.

Pies run the gamut from traditional apple, blueberry and pecan to strawberry rhubarb, chocolate cream and “fruit of the forest” filled with apple, rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry and blackberries. Other choices include pumpkin, cherry, peach and Dutch apple with crumb topping and caramel drizzle.

Bagel selections - over 20 of the crunchy delights to choose from - include plain, sesame, poppy seed, onion, everything, cinnamon raisin, snickerdoodle, French toast, hot and spicy, asiago, whole wheat, jalapeno, as well as seasonal varieties. And you can top them with a variety of spreads ranging from plain cream cheese to veggie and from honey nut to chive and several others such as creamy peanut butter and Nutella, the world’s most beloved hazelnut spread.

“The day before Thanksgiving is our busiest day of the year, followed by Christmas with hundreds of bakery pre-orders for parties and the holiday dinner tables,” Maloni said.

A family affair, Maloni said you will often find his wife and two oldest daughters, his brother and his nieces, and his parents helping out in the bakery and serving coffee and other beverages.

The fabulous ice cream

Making your own ice cream - instead of bringing in a mass-produced product to sell - isn’t easy, and not everyone can do it and get it right, Maloni noted. But they had a lot of practice perfecting the art of ice cream making.

The Maloni’s parents, Anthony and Cindy Maloni, are longtime owners of Cindy’s Drive-in in Granby, the town’s original 1950s drive-in serving up their famous “Long Dog” and other treats alongside over 100 flavors of hard and soft ice cream.

Voted Best of Mass Ice Cream - People’s Choice and #4 Overall - by MassLive, their ice cream as some would say is “to die for.”

“Our ice cream is hard to beat. My brother Dominic is a foodie and has developed our recipes by trial and error. Not only is he a talented financial planner, but he also studied at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, where he studied culinary arts, then food service management. He likes to keep our ice cream menu interesting for customers who are always looking for a new flavor to try, and we encourage sampling,” Maloni said.

“One of the advantages is that we can incorporate a number of items from our bakery into our ice cream such as brownies, cookies and pies, and have the ability to toast our own coconut and melt our cocoa. We have many seasonal favorites like our Blueberry Cobbler which usually comes out in July and our Peach in July and August that is made from native peaches, similar in fashion to our Strawberry ice cream. In the fall, we have our Pumpkin and Pumpkin Oreo and Egg Nog at Christmastime. Then in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in March our Magically Delicious ice cream is made with Lucky Charms cereal,” he added.

Other flavors among a large menu for every taste include Grasshopper, Purple Cow, Sharktooth, Cookie Monster, Peppermint Stick, Limoncello, Very Berry, Mounds, Stacciatella, Moosetracks, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Coffee, and traditional Vanilla and Chocolate, as well as Rum Raisin, Cotton Candy, Grape-nut, and so many others. Soft serve features traditional vanilla, chocolate and twist. For those with a heartier appetite there are sundaes with all the trimmings including Hot Fudge Brownie, Butterfinger Blast, Banana Split, Strawberry Shortcake, M&M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and other concoctions. Flurries, milkshakes, and a root beer float round out the ice cream menu.

Similar to much of the rest of the barn, Maloni said he wanted their ice cream parlor with its black and white checkered floor to have “that 1920’s feel.” There is an old brass plate on display that once adorned a cash register from days gone by that his brother Jeremiah, who runs Cindy’s, purchased from a defunct dairy farm in Ludlow. Also, standing tall against the wall is a vintage “Love Tester” penny arcade game which entertained young and old alike for over 90 years.

“The centerpiece to the ice cream parlor is the coolest sign we have. It says ‘Rice Fruit Farm - 200 Feet Ahead’ and once stood at the corner of Tinkham Road and Main Street welcoming people coming to Wilbraham to find

All the rest

While at the moment the farm’s orchards and fields are not being used for growing fruits and vegetables, they bring in seasonal local and organic produce to sell at their farm stand.

“We sell in-season blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and apples, as well as healthy veggies including squash, corn, string beans, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage and more,” Maloni said, noting they also sell local honey, maple syrup other locally sourced unique and fun items.

While they don’t grown flowers, an assortment of beautiful hanging plants can also be found for sale

As part of the farm, kids - many of whom today don’t often get to see animals close up - can see goats, chickens, rabbits, and two turkeys and ducks who will be arriving shortly.

When fall arrives, there are tons of pumpkins from big to small to purchase and bring home to decorate for the Halloween season. They also sell other autumn accoutrements such as corn stalks, bales of hay, mums, gourds and more.

“We also give students from Minnechaug Regional High School space to hold scarecrow making workshops as a fundraiser,” Maloni said.

In addition to local youngsters who often frequent Rice Fruit Farm after classes for a snack and to hang out together for a spell, Maloni noted Rice Fruit Farm has become a popular destination for area college students.

“What we see is that local kids attending Springfield College and Western New England College want to share their past experiences here with their new college friends, who come to find that it’s a cool thing to be seen at Rice Fruit Farm,” Maloni said.

Open year-round, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Rice Fruit Farm is located on 757 Main St. in Wilbraham.

For more information, visit ricefruitfarm. com, email info@ricefruitfarm.com, or call 413-596-4002. You can also get social and visit them on Facebook and Instagram.