If you looked at Cranford strictly by the numbers, you might never call it a small town. There are more than 20,000 residents in Cranford; hundreds of them board the local train and bus to New York City every day. Dozens of major corporations and small businesses operate out of Cranford Business Park. The downtown district is home to countless shops and restaurants. Union County College has an enrollment of more than 10,000. These numbers suggest that Cranford could be a small city! 
But did you know that Cranford is home to the last remaining working farm in all of Union County? I’m referring to the beloved Dreyer Farms, of course, which has been operating for well over 100 years now! 

Julie Castillo’s painting of Dreyer Farms “behind the scenes” shows the other, more rustic side of Cranford, the side that keeps the town feeling small and humble despite its modern conveniences, the side that makes it a wonderful place to live and raise children. Where else can you step off a crowded train at the end of a long work day, stop at a farm on your way home, and buy just-picked veggies for your dinner that night, along with milk in a glass jug and a freshly baked apple pie? 

A resident of Cranford, Julie Castillo is multi-medium artist with a degree from the Art Center College of Design. She has worked as an advertising illustrator for such companies as Gucci, Calvin Klein, Harley Davidson, ESPN, and the New York Times. Julie is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and the American Watercolor Society, and she won first place in Cranford’s 2015 Plein Air Quick Draw competition for her watercolor “RR Underpass.” 

Julie and I agree that Cranford is like no other town. I’m just so proud to LIVE . . . WORK . . . LOVE . . . LOCAL!