Mary's Meadow at Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast

08/26/2026

Karen asked, "Who was your first guest"?

Scroll down to the bottom if you want the answer without a lengthy story to read!!!

Way back in 2009, right after we bought Mary's Meadow, (17 years ago!!!), we settled into the home with the intention of continuing to look for bed & breakfasts for sale after the disaster of "The Battle Island Bed & Breakfast". Mary's Meadow was never intended to be a bed & breakfast. It was a home that I fell in love with and a home we could settle into while continuing our search for an operating bed & breakfast to buy.

So to backtrack just a bit...we found an c.1840 Italianate home in the town of Granby, near Oswego where our youngest daughter had started college. The home was called "The Battle Island Inn Bed & Breakfast". It was directly across the street from the Battle Island Golf course and a few other local attractions that would entice guests to our property. There was a real outdoor movie theatre that still exists to this day!!!!

I didn't love it; in fact it was shabby and I was rather unsure if this was the right place for me to fulfill my dream. But I did agree with Howard that this would be a start since we had never done anything like this before.

Remember, "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps".

The price was right, and the sellers accepted our offer. After accepting an offer for our Long Island home, we filled 4 PODS, and headed north (with our animals, frozen food in coolers, our houseplants, etc.) after the closing to close on our new property the next day. The morning of closing, our lawyer called and said the sellers couldn't legally sell the property to us since they had 2 mortgages, and hadn't paid them off. One mortgage was to The Bank of America, and the sellers believed Obama when he said that mortgage debt had been forgiven. Because they couldn't close on the house, and we legally had "time is of the essence", we walked away from the property. Praise the Lord. He always has His plans for us.

I happily settled into Mary's Meadow and tried to forget the past few months. Life was good! One day Howard said to me, "you know we could easily convert this home into a bed & breakfast".
We could add bathrooms, put a door here....." and so it began!

Our mailman, bless his heart, had a family wedding coming up. Since we had been talking to him over the months we were renovating he asked to let us know when we would open. With so much still to do and finish, we laughed and said in a couple of years"!!!! Be he was in earnest and needed accommodations for his family that September.

We were flattered that he was so interested, and with the pressure on we accepted his request for his family to come and stay.

The night before the first guests were to arrive, the carpenter was still tiling a bathroom, I was setting up the rooms, Howard was painting, but we did it.

From that point forward, word spread and my/our dream came true!

So, Karen, the real answer to your question is... the mailman!

08/25/2026

We have no words for this lovely gift. So grateful for our guests that have become wonderful friends over the years.
😊🥰😊😊🥰🥰😊😊🥰🥰😊😊😊🥰😊

08/20/2026

This question had me in stitches laughing!!!

One of my repeat guests asked, "I literally come for your amazing home-cooked breakfasts, and seeing the menu on my bed is the highlight of our stay!!! Did you go to cooking school, and how do you choose your menu" What is the most popular breakfast you cook?

Seriously, Steve???? While I purport that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I see you take that quite seriously! 😂

No, I did not go to cooking school. As a stay-at-home mom of 4 and wife to Howard I had years of hands-on-training within a tight food budget. I do come from a family that truly enjoys entertaining so I learned more from my grandmother and mother than I could have imagined. It's not just cooking, it's the presentation, the ambiance and making breakfast as appealing as possible. And having guests enjoy my food...well that just makes my heart sing!

Building my menu is fun and easy. Since I am grateful that I can cook-to-order, and not serve continental, I choose my menu based on items that can be made in advance, and even frozen, like my hash brown casseroles. Those do not stay in my freezer for very long! The menu is also practical, choosing things that Howard and I also enjoy for breakfast. As I always say, "nothing goes to waste here, the dogs and chickens love all the leftovers".

My rotating menu assures me that I don't get bored cooking the same breakfasts over and over. I go with the seasons and offer fresh produce from my garden in the spring and summer.

The printed menu serves me well as guests fill them out the night before. If I have run out of something or need a particular ingredient I can make a quick run to the store. 😊

I don't think there is one particular breakfast that is the favorite of guests. It's more the choices one can make within the options. I wish I could figure out how many pounds of bacon or hash brown casseroles in ramekins I have cooked over the past 15 years!

French toast made with authentic challah bread and pancakes based on an c.1808 recipe (receipt) is always a favorite.

The appetizer basket is my way of ensuring guests don't get bored while waiting for their cooked-to-order breakfast to be served. This is where I can get really creative and bake things on a whim also depending on the season. I don't bake gingerbread in the summer, but I do bake blueberry muffins, peaches & cream bread, triple berry scones and many other items that highlight the flavors of the season. As a hobby beekeeper, with lots of honey jars in my pantry, I substitute honey for sugar and add infusions wherever I can!

It seems the blueberry muffins and cinnamon crumb cake are the most popular "appetizer" basket items. I am happy to share the recipe for my muffins with you all. Remember, recipes are just guidelines. Make them your own as I always do.



MARY’S MEADOW/FERNWOOD FARM B&B
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Grease your choice of muffin tin

3 tbsp. butter
1 c. sugar (can substitute ¾ c. Fernwood Farm honey!)
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ c. milk (I use buttermilk)
2 c. blueberries (fresh during summer months; frozen in the winter months and no need to defrost.)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat. Add alternately dry ingredients with milk. Mix well. Stir in blueberries.

I like to use my oversized muffin pan so this recipe will make 6 XL muffins. Bake for approximately 38 minutes.

If making 12 regular size muffins, bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes.

*For seasonal muffins (red, white & blue), add 1 cup fresh (or frozen) raspberries and 1 cup blueberries. A capful of almond flavoring is a lovely addition. Try 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts if desired. This recipe is very versatile, so make it your own!

Enjoy!

Keep your questions coming! I am having a blast answering them and keeping in touch with you all. 🥰

08/19/2026

OPEN HOUSE at FERNWOOD FARM ESTATE
Sunday, August 23rd, 2026
1-3pm
Meet and Greet with Eric Burrell - Limestone Creek Properties

08/19/2026

After you sell Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast, where are you moving to, and what are your future plans?

This question came from several different friends, in different queries, but the most frequently asked one is where are we going to live.

In 2022, Howard and I bought another home that we have named "The Willows at Woodfield", c.1830 or thereabouts, as our retirement home in Cazenvoia and literally 5 minutes away from Fernwood Farm.

This beautiful and stately home was neglected for over 60 years but after extensive renovations, including all new wiring, plumbing, windows, refinishing floors, painting, wallpapering, a brand new kitchen complete with a copper sink, new bathrooms, a beautiful master suite and adding an elevator, the house is completed. Everything in the old house is brand new or has been updated! The 18+ acres of land requires extensive cleanup and landscaping that Howard works at daily and still onoing, but we have begun living there when there are no guests at Fernwood Ferm. Working between the two homes can be confusing as I sometimes forget which house I need to be at!!! Do check out my previous posts on the renovation and Howard's first ride on the elevator!

Future plans include finding another house to renovate and we currently have our eyes on one we would really like to buy! We have some really interesting ideas for what we would do with the house and property, so keep looking for my updates!

Howard and I would like to volunteer at local animal shelters and I want to work with other beekeepers to learn more about my hobby. I want to resume my interest in pottery, throwing on the wheel, and learn how to make those beautiful scented soaps that I am obsessed with!

I would also like to join a Bible study, and a book club.

Traveling locally/day trips is something Howard and I both want to do. We've never been to Corning or Letchworth, just to name a couple of local attractions.

Some foreign travel is on my bucket list and of course going back to my little island paradise, Grand Cayman, visiting classmates/friends and adopted family is always at the forefront of my travel plans!

After the winters we have experienced recently, I think the time to become snowbirds has also arrived!

Who knows what the future holds for us, but I do love to daydream, and who doesn't drool over the travel brochures that seem to be delivered daily to my mailbox.

But all that being said, deep down I am a homebody, and I love to be home! Howard and I have so many interests and hobbies, we will never be bored or be without some new project to focus on.

But one thing I know for sure from the book of Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 9, "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps".

And we obediently and willingly listen to "His still small voice" in all aspects of our life and in every decision we make.

To God be the Glory in all we do.

08/16/2026

This question really had me thinking on it for a couple of days!

Who would be your ideal buyer for Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast?
How do you see the property changing/not changing with new owners?

Truthfully, I honestly thought that Meier's Creek Brewery would offer for the property. We are literally right next door and we share a border along both properties. Early on, before even listing with Limesone Creek Properties, we had some interest and an offer that unfortunately did not come to pass. Currently Meier's Creek is rehabbing an old bungalow they purchased several years ago for their interests, that was once part of the original estate of Fernwood Farm. It's become very modern, and we assume it will be used for their larger wedding venue business.

Modern is the key word that triggers my heart rather negatively. Howard and I have worked so hard to keep the history alive in both c.1810 Mary's Meadow Bed & Breakfast and c.1874 Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast. Cazenovia history is rich and full of stories which Howard and I love to share with our guests.

Our ideal buyer would be someone that would continue the legacy of what Lamburtus Wolters Ledyard began when he built his "Gentlemen's" farm. The property once housed 72,000 square feet of barns to contain the first herd in the United States of blooded Guernsey cows personally chosen by Lamburtus on his travels to the Guernsey Islands. The new owners will receive the book I found on Amazon cataloguing all of the names and lineages of his herd.

I would love to see the new owners continue to operate the bed & breakfast, but it could easily revert back to a single-family home or even a home with VRBO connections.

There is a unique application with our real estate listing through Limestone Creek Properties of a button you press to allow AI to show you what your rooms would look like as contemporary, country, etc. It's a fabulous visual tool!

I would love to see horses on the property and other livestock since we have 6.5 acres of agricultural land.

Whoever becomes the next owner(s) of Fernwood Farm, just know that we pass it on with the hope that they will love and care for the property as much as we do and have.

08/15/2026

"Tell us about one of your most interesting guests".

Okay, Tracy...after much thought and many recollections, I think this was our most interesting guest, especially since we have had requests to protect the identity of guests and swear to secrecy over the years.

I doubt if even our family knows about some of the "celebrities" we have hosted over the years. Since we maintain a low profile with every aspect of our lives and extension into the business, this has never been an issue with us. We were trusted, and that was a testament to what we offer anyone coming through our front door.

Our guest arrived at Mary's Meadow one weekend with his partner in a very luxurious vehicle. Mr. A. was an elegant man, extremely well dressed, well spoken, expressive and very articulate. His partner was exactly the same. I was so flattered that they chose to stay at Mary's Meadow Bed & Breakfast that particular weekend for some rest and relaxation, even though their purpose for the visit was business related.

Our guest was the lawyer of a very famous fashion designer and was in town for a meeting in Syracuse.

Breakfast the next morning was a lingering and relaxing affair with quiet conversation as they were seated on the sunporch, on a gorgeous summer day, enjoying coffee and homemade blueberry muffins.

As Howard was serving them, Mr. A took him aside for a "moment of his time", and whispered in his ear.

For those that have been guests of ours, you know you'll find breakfast menus on your bed everyday to fill out and to give to me the night before.

Sometimes a guest will change their minds and add or eliminate something from their breakfast choices.

So what did Mr A. whisper in Howard's ear when he took him aside in the other room?

He had ordered pancakes and marked New York State syrup as his choice for the benefit of his companion. Not knowing that Mr. A. had a secret... he changed his syrup choice to "Mrs. Butterworth's" and swore Howard to secrecy about his fondness for the imitation syrup. However, his partner was not to know about this!

For me, it truly was a glimpse into a very different world when all your choices are scrutinized, from what you eat, to the way you dress, and so much more. No wonder the rich and famous are so stressed out.

There have been many "interesting" guests, but since this one came to mind first, and the fact that he chose to stay at Mary's Meadow for some anonymity, was very flattering.

Keep your questions coming!!! Howard and love talking about of our memories from this very interesting bed & breakfast industry!

08/15/2026

Happy Weekend Everyone!

It's Question and Answer Time, and here is the answer to the second question I was asked.

Why do you have 2 different names for your bed & breakast?

Great question!!!

For our first foray into our "someday" business, Howard and I turned an c.1810 single-family home into a bed & breakfast and opened the door to our first guests in 2011. Although we purchased the home in 2009, it took time and serious renovations to make it welcoming for guests. Completed with modern day conveniences, we still wanted guests to feel like they were stepping back in time! We created four ensuite guest rooms and named our new business, Mary's Meadow Bed & Breakfast.

With the success of Mary's Meadow Bed & Breakfast, Howard and I began looking for other historic homes for sale in the area as a potential second bed & breakfast. In 2015 we purchased Fernwood Farm and spent 2 years converting another single-family home into what it is today, and named the property Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast. After a soft opening in 2017, guests loved this home and what we offered as well. This property became more of a destination with the addition of an in-ground heated pool, barrel sauna and hot-tub.

Howard and I operated both bed & breakfasts at the same time for 3 years! Don't ask how, but we made it work! Ginny cooked breakfast for the guests at Mary's Meadow, and we hired chef Trish for Fernwood Farm.

At this point, Ginny needed housekeeping help and Ginger worked at both homes. Howard did "Meet & Greet" at Fernwood, while Ginny did the same at Mary's Meadow.

Not even aware that Covid would be a factor in our decision to sell in 2019, we sold the property in October to the Smith's and they renamed Mary's Meadow Bed & Breakfast, The Taylor House.

Because we had licensed and branded the names of our business, and legally couldn't separate them for 7 years, we combined the two and became Mary's Meadow at Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast.

Technically we are Fernwood Farm Bed & Breakfast today, but Mary's Meadow at Fernwood Farm is still an active search engine.

There are more detailed stories to read if you check out my blogs on the web-site,

Reserve a RoomCome Enjoy the Peace and Quiet Click Here The Best Breakfast experience ever! “Breakfast was to die for with fresh eggs (all the chickens have names), fresh fruit, juice, home made muffins, potatoes, WOW. Just can’t say enough about our stay. Thank you Howard and Ginny. You’re th...

08/13/2026

Now this is fun!!!
Because of my last answer to a question, (Guests Not Welcome Back), you have begun asking me more questions.
Here's a good one: "Did you need special training to open and run a bed and breakfast"?
If "Bed & Breakfast for Dummies" counts, then that is my training! Besides being a wife and mom to 4 kids, working in the hospitality industry, and unbeknownst to me, training for what was to come, and a course on-line, that was the extent of it. Howard and I have stayed in many bed & breakfasts over the years, and I took notes. "Some day" I hoped to have my own, and I wrote down things in a spiral notebook about our accommodations I liked and didn't like. I spent hours online looking at other bed and breakfast websites, getting ideas and inspiration. Like king size beds are considered a luxury item. Of course I had to have king beds in all my rooms with the best matresses money could buy!
My best advice to any aspiring innkeeper is to go with what your personal expectations would be, and give it your absolute best effort. Think outside the box. Be welcoming and kind to all.
The hardest part for me...I am not a morning person, at all! Until I have had my first cup of coffee and a little bit of Jesus with my morning devotions, I want peace and silence.
After being married for almost 48 years, Howard is very respectful of my quirk!
However, when you have a bed and breakfast, all of that goes out the window. Breakast needs to be prepared and served, all with love and conversation, sometimes before 8am, which is our first breakfast service seating! So another piece of advice, be able to go with the flow!
The last piece of advice: be certain you have a supportive family, and a devoted and very helpful spouse. I'm sure Howard never thought I would be his "boss" and could fire and hire him back on a whim!!! Lol! But he's always there to "fix" something, cares for all the maintenance and landscaping. Mowing the 6.5 acres takes a good 6 hours and he has to pass by my bee yard with a baseball cap protecting his face from potential stings from the soldier bees.
There are times that I have had meltdowns but he always has my back and talks me off the ledge when I think a guest doesn't like staying with us, or maybe I took on more than I could handle.
I am so very grateful for the addtional housekeeping help I have had over the years, (currently Kim). I used to do it "all", and finally realized, that help was necessary.
My bed and breakfast is truly a labor of love with the joy of "welcoming angels" through our front door into this beautiful historic home, and the past 15 years have been the best!
I love your questions!!! Keep them coming.

08/11/2026

One of the funniest questions I am asked is, "have there ever been any guests that I wouldn't allow back"?
Since I am at the end of my bed-and-breakfast career, I think I can honstely answer that question without too many repercussions!
I have always maintained that bed-and-breakfast guests are very respectful and so appreciative of what we offer. That is true. But, that being said, yes, I do have a list of "Guests Not Welcome Back" taped to my desk!!!
They would have been repeats, but unfortunately, their prior behaviours necessitated my decision.
You don't break bedframes and not offer to replace them. You don't crack a toilet seat and not tell the owners. You don't nitpick every little detail that is not to their liking, ie., leaving lights on at night for safety reasons. You don't follow the rules about drinking in moderation, smoking and va**ng! You don't sneak a third person into your 2-person room in the early morning hours and then text me at 2am asking for extra towels.
Howard and I could write a book!
The guest is ALWAYS right, and we always refer to our Bible verse that is the foundation of our business: Hebrews 13:2: Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
All of our guests are angels, until proven otherwise!
But the other foundation of our business is and always will be, forgiveness.