HOW WE GROW

IS YOUR PRODUCE ORGANIC?

Yes. Our farm is Certified Organic by Vermont Organic Farmers of NOFA-VT, which means 100% of the produce we grow is Certified Organic. In addition, we are Real Organic certified, as we grow all of our produce in soil.

WHAT IS VOF ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?

Vermont Organic Farmers LLC (VOF) is the USDA accredited certification program owned by NOFA-VT. VOF believes that organic production enhances soil, plant, animal, and human health to protect the environment for current and future generations. Organic certification is needed to verify these production practices and to ensure that organic products are produced with integrity and transparency.

WHAT IS REAL ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?

Real Organic is an add on certification for farms that are already certified organic, and that grow their plants in healthy, living soil (as opposed to hydroponic growing practices, where plants are grown in water). Learn more here.

DO YOU PRACTICE LOW-TILL FARMING?

Yes. We care deeply about maintaining and improving the quality of our soil health. To keep the soil structures intact as much as possible, we practice low-till farming. That means we use broadforks and a tilther to prepare beds before planting. Broadforks aerate the soil without damaging its structure; tilthers mix the top two inches of soil with compost, leaving the soil structure and beneficial microbes intact. We do a mechanical tilling on approximately 1/4 of the garden each year to incorporate cover crops.

HOW BIG IS YOUR FARM?

We own 70 acres, 1.75 of which are in production. In addition to the growing space, much of the land is forest, pasture, and wetland. There is also a 70 acre sugarbush that we manage with family (where all of the syrup in our farmstand comes from). We have eleven hoop-houses where we grow heat-loving crops in the warmer months (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans) and cold-hardy crops in the late fall and early spring.

HOW DO YOU GROW VEGGIES IN COLD WEATHER?

We are able to grow crops in the “shoulder season” (November, December, February, and March) because of our hoop-houses, which trap heat from the sun to keep cold-hardy crops alive. An extra layer (or layers - sometimes 3 or more) of protection is added through row cover, which goes over the crops to keep the heat in and let most of the light through. We do not heat our hoop-houses - they are heated only through the sun. Winter and early spring crops are seeded in August and September. By mid fall, most of the growth has been “stockpiled” and by early winter most of the crop has been harvested. When the days lengthen and the sun is stronger in February, the crops begin growing again, and we get abundant late winter/ early spring harvests.

DO YOU USE TRACTORS?

A little bit. We have a tractor with a bucket that comes in handy, especially for moving large amounts of compost. In recent seasons, we have tilled in blocks of cover crop once or twice a season. Approximately 1/4 of the growing space is tilled each year. Largely, we are a people-powered farm and harvest everything by hand, with the exception of certain lettuces which are harvested with a cordless drill-powered greens harvester.

DO YOU SPRAY YOUR VEGGIES?

We are Certified Organic by VOF-NOFA-VT. Organic certification allows certain less toxic sprays to be used, and we do occasionally. For example, we may spray BT (bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki) one or two times a year. BT is a naturally occurring soil bacteria that is harmless to humans, animals, and beneficial insects, but toxic to the enemy of the tomato, the hornworm.

WHAT DO YOUR SOLAR PANELS POWER?

We have a ground-mounted solar array near our lower hoop houses. They provide electricity for both apartments in our house, as well as the farm. On the farm, most of the electricity is used for coolers and freezers.

We also have a farm solar pump. It pumps water to the top of the hill and fills large water storage tanks. From there, the water is piped down to the garden for a gravity irrigation system.

CAN I WORK ON YOUR FARM?

See if we are hiring by checking out our employment page.

ARE YOU ACCEPTING NEW WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS?

Please contact us to be added to our wholesale availability email. We would love to chat with you!

DO YOU SELL GIFT CERTIFICATES?

Yes! Check out our online store to grab one.