Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms 2011

An Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) publication, produced in partnership with the Addison Independent.

2011 Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farmsfree!

PAGE 2 — 2011 Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms

What’s insideLocal processing on the rise

Page 4

Addison County: Rich farm-land, rich history

Page 8

Young farmers find a niche in Addison County

Page 9

Four ways to cook a chickenPage 13

Food and farm directoryInformation on more than 200 area farmers and producers.

Page 14

County gleaning updatePage 20

Farm to school effortsPage 26

Composting completes the cycle in schools

Page 27

Voices from the fieldMeet four of the faces behind the food in Addison County.

Page 28

2011 Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms

Publisher: Jonathan Corcoran

Project Editor: Andrea Suozzo

Contributing writers: Andrea Suozzo, Hannah Mueller, Kate Gridley, Andrew Stein, J.P. Allen

Directory compiled by: Susan Smiley

Map by: Claire Tebbs and Jess Minton

Design: Andrea Suozzo

Cover Photograph: Trent Campbell

To make sure your farm is included in the next Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms, head to www.vermont-growersguide.com to register your farm with the directory.

For more details about ACORN and to receive our member e-newsletter, please visit www.acornvt.org or call (802) 382-0401.

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2011 Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms — Page 3

For the first time in 50 years, the number of farms is increasing. The tide is slowly shifting as change wells up from the grassroots. People want more control over what they eat - they want to know WHO grew their food, HOW they grew it and processed it. They want to support their local economy and keep their dollars in the community. We are witnessing the early spring signs of an agricultural renaissance.The ACORN Network has been in the difficult busi-

ness of trying to grow awareness about the importance of local food and agriculture since 2005. It’s been a slow, patient journey. The results have often been underwhelming – beliefs and habits change slowly. On the other hand, we’ve learned a lot about the land and people of this county and networked hundreds of connections between growers, businesses, schools and community organizations.One of the problems we faced was that we had very

little information or data about the local food market. So we set out to find out for ourselves about what was happening on the ground. The results of that study were published in a local food plan in 2010 which you can download from the ACORN website at www.acornvt.org. You can also sign-up to receive our e-newsletter for updates.The plan’s 10-year goal is to grow the local food

market from a current estimated 5% share to 15%. The report recommended three key initiatives to support that growth: 1) launch a wholesale produce market to better connect local growers and local markets and institutions; 2) hire a Farm-to-School coordinator to encourage local food purchasing, gardening and food education programs in the three school districts in the county, and 3) develop a Local Food Index to create a baseline metric for the local food market to be able to track our growth going forward. All three initiatives have now been launched. The

ACORN Wholesale Collaborative is currently in the middle of an intensive 5-month planning phase which has been funded through grants from the High Mead-ows Fund and the John Merck Fund. Through a part-nership with the Willowell Foundation, ACORN was able to hire Hannah Mueller, an AmeriCorps volun-teer, to serve as the county’s first part-time Farm-to-School coordinator. And the first quarterly report of the Addison County Local Food Index which includes Middlebury College, Porter Medical, Addison North-east Foodservice, Greg’s Market and the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, will be published in early April.We invite you to participate in the following events

which we are sponsoring in the next 6 months:

Save the Date

April 5: STONE SOUP: Addison County’s Farm-to-School Conference from 4-7:30 PM at Middlebury Union High School, Middlebury

April 14: ACORN ANNUAL MEETING featuring Ben Hewitt, author of “The Town that Food Saved” from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Lincoln Peak Winery in New Haven. Please RSVP to [email protected].

April 28: FARM-TO-PLATE REPORT by Ver-mont Sustainable Jobs Fund Executive Director Ellen Kahler: “What does Farm-to-Plate mean to Addison County growers and businesses?” at McCardell Bicen-tennial Hall 216 at Middlebury College from 7-9 PM.

September 18: TOUR DE FARMS and APPLEFEST, Bicycle tour and harvest celebration, Shoreham

We’ve just learned that the 2010 Guide won a second place award for special sections among weekly publi-cations at the New England Newspaper and Press As-sociation conference - it’s a great honor for a first-time publication – we tip our hats to the Addison Indepen-dent and to everybody who helped make that happen!The 2011 Guide is no exception. Susan Smiley, who

has diligently built the grower directory since 2005, had the bright idea of approaching Kevin Behm and Claire Tebbs at the Addison County Regional Planning Commission to create the beautiful GIS map to help readers more easily locate growers. We have a wonderful selection of stories, recipes and

profiles this year, including a look at the history of ag-riculture in the Champlain Valley for which we turned to the Sheldon Museum for help. I’d like to personally thank Andrea Suozzo for her editorial leadership and Hannah Mueller for her many vital contributions to the 2011 edition. Finally, thanks are due to our many advertisers who work the local food economy every day and who make this publication possible – please support them with your business!

—Jonathan CorcoranThe ACORN Network

Welcome to the second annual Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms!

Young pigs sit in a pen at the Thompson/Duclos Farm in Weybridge last March.

Independent photo/Trent Campbell

Before

Slow Food ® &

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Local processing on the riseBy Tamara Hilmes and Andrea Suozzo

ADDISON COUNTY — When Francie Caccavo started making croutons in her kitchen over 20 years ago, she knew she wanted to use only the best ingredients.

Local grains, Cabot butter, organic herbs and Grafton and Shelburne Farms cheddar were Caccavo’s tools of the trade, and the endeavor blossomed into a successful business. Olivia’s Croutons

In 2009, Caccavo’s homemade business outgrew her kitchen and moved into an 8,000-square-foot renovated barn and began producing as many as 1500 bags of croutons per day. Caccavo was now producing on a mass scale for resale all over the United States, but despite the spike in business, one thing stayed the same: her ingredients.

At Olivia’s Croutons, it’s go local, or go home. In recent years, the

farm-to-table and local foods movement has been trickling down through Vermont, from Hardwick in the north — featured in the 2010 book “The Town that Food Saved,” — to Addison County, in the heart of the state.

Now, Addison County entrepreneurs and farmers alike are following suit, getting into the nitty-gritty of increasing the county’s reliance on homegrown food.

In January, Vermont legislators churned out the “Farm to Plate Strategic Plan,” which provides a roadmap to inspire new infrastructure and growth in Vermont’s food and farm sector. The plan aims to create new jobs and to make healthier, locally produced foods more easily accessible to the average Vermonter.

In this part of the state, the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) is taking a lead in beefing up the local food market, and others are already hopping onboard.

One of the key ingredients to a stronger local foods market is the processing of local ingredients into more viable products. Several Addison County names are making strides in the processing sector, including Shoreham’s Vermont Refrigerated Storage, the Bristol Bakery and Café in Bristol and Olivia’s Croutons in New Haven.

Relying on locally grown ingredients for large-scale production poses a number of challenges. Availability — both in terms of quantity and time of year — is always an issue, and crop consistency can be hit or miss. But despite

the added obstacles, some Addison County entrepreneurs say it’s worthwhile. Bristol Works!

Kevin Harper and Robert Fuller, two of three businessmen behind the upcoming Bristol Works! development that will take over the former Autumn Harp space in Bristol, use only high-quality, local ingredients at the Bristol Bakery and Café, which they co-own. The pair plans to expand their baked goods brand into commercial production in the new Bristol Works! manufacturing space.

“We’re both very excited about the idea of taking what we have here at the bakery and expanding it,” Harper said. “We hand make everything seven days a week and it’s all made from scratch and a vast amount of it is from local, raw materials.”

The idea, Harper said, is to take a handmade product and drop it into a retail environment without losing any of the original quality. Bristol Works!, Harper hopes, will provide the infrastructure needed to get this type of local processing underway.

“We hope to build on the Bristol Bakery brand as a way to get the word out of quality local ingredients in products for distribution up and down the Champlain Valley,” Harper said. “We’ll launch with an enterprise that takes the values and products from the Bristol Bakery retail kitchen and move it into

the commercial kitchen where we can produce greater volumes without taking away from the quality of the product, then we’ll package and distribute.”

The Bristol Works! complex will house a large commercial kitchen that Harper plans to lease out to other local producers in addition to using it for his own products. In this way, Harper is looking to bolster local processing on a broader scale rather than focusing solely on turning a profit.

“By leading by example we can attract entrepreneurs and small-scale food purveyors who might be making it in their kitchen or barn and need a true, commercial-scale manufacturing space,” he said. “It’s part of a larger manufacturing scheme — the idea of a shared infrastructure system.”

And by sharing equipment like steam or water kettles, small-scale food manufacturers can get access to commercial equipment they need at a lower cost.

“Think of it as a large, flexible commercial

“This is first and foremost about the grower, and creating viable business oppor-tunities that will help make family farms in Vermont sustainable.”

— David Dolginow

... continued on page 5

Photo courtesy Jessie Raymond


Local FolksCarol’s

Hungry Mind CaféMiddlebury, Vt.

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kitchen that could accommodate a variety of users who would commit to space,” Harper said. “It’s not a cooperative, but a shared infrastructure rented by tenants who are currently operating on a small scale, but need room to grow.”Green Mountain Organic Creamery

While Harper and Fuller will be providing the manufacturing space and the equipment to make local food processing a reality for small producers, organic dairy farmers Cheryl and J.D. DeVos of Ferrisburgh have already crossed that bridge. Starting in May, the owners of the 200-cow Kimball Brook Farm will begin bottling and distributing 20 percent of their milk under their own label, Green Mountain Organic Dairy.

The DeVoses will continue selling the majority of their milk to Horizon Organic, their current milk buyer, but they are developing

a model similar to the one used by Strafford Organic Creamery, which processes, bottles and distributes its milk, cream and ice cream regionally. If they are successful, the DeVoses hope to expand production in order to take on more small organic dairies in the region.

Cheryl said in early March that the couple has already raised near $1 million through grants and local investors to build the business, and the DeVoses have secured a rental space in the old Saputo milk processing plant in Hinesburg. They’re looking to distribute to sellers in Addison and Chittenden County, but they are also hoping to target larger regional markets like Boston and New York City.

For the DeVoses, the move toward local processing isn’t just an attempt to become more economically viable or more environmentally sustainable. It’s a response to the pressures that the nationwide dairy market faces.

“We want to make sure farmers are getting paid above their price of production,” said Cheryl. “We want the creamery to be profitable, but we also want the farmers to be profitable.”Vermont Regrigerated Storage

Proponents of local food processing and distribution are also looking to a growing Shoreham outfit. While Vermont Refrigerated Storage (VRS) is predominantly an apple storage facility right now, owners Barney Hodges and Gregory O’Brien hope to develop it into a space for farmers to store and extend their crops year-round, in turn making locally grown ingredients available to businesses like Olivia’s Croutons and the Bristol Bakery.

VRS has hired recent Middlebury College graduate David Dolginow to carry out a feasibility study to see how a cold-storage facility could bolster the county’s food market.

“We want to provide Vermont farmers with an opportunity to extend their season beyond Oct. 1,” Dolginow said in a December interview. “This is first and foremost about the grower, and creating viable business opportunities that will help make family farms in Vermont sustainable.”

But beyond storage, VRS hopes to do some processing of its own with the help of grant funding. If they are able to secure the necessary grants, processing, packaging and storing things like root vegetables could become a reality in the near future.

According to Jonathan Corcoran, president of ACORN, Vermont Refrigerated Storage could act as a hub for the county’s local food systems as they continue to develop in the coming years.

“It’s a really important asset we have here in Addison County,” said Corcoran. “It presents an opportunity for storage and, down the road, for food processing.”

continued from page 4...

Opposite page: cows gather on a hillside in January and an apple corer processes local fruit last summer. This page, clockwise from left: A Ferrisburgh silo sits on a rutted road in August; wheat is harvested in New Haven for Olivia’s Croutons; antique machinery at Farmall Hill in Shoreham; and workers build a barn on a New Haven farm.

Independent photos/Trent Campbell

Photo courtesy Francie Caccavo


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““

“

“Ask anyone who’s stuck a spade into

Addison County soil and you’ll get the same reaction: it’s all clay, stubborn and resistant to tilling.

Less well known is the fact that this wasn’t always the case. As Ben Falk points out in a “Vermont Commons” column, Vermont soil maps state that the soil is six to 12 inches of silty loam over graveled subsoil.

“Yet, for the past five years I’ve been gardening and planting trees across this site and have found only pockets of loam soil a few times; it’s just clay, boulders and more clay,” he writes. “Where’s all the topsoil? Are the maps wrong?”

The answer lies with settlers from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island who, seeking unoccupied land in the mid 1700s, headed north. They were, drawn by reports of abundant, fertile land. The Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury describes the appeal of the land in the agriculture section of “From the Land to the Lake,” an online learning kit on Vermont history:

Vermont’s Champlain and Connecticut River valleys promised everything that southern New England now lacked… The Champlain Valley boasted a milder climate and a longer growing season than other regions in northern New England due to the moderating effect of the lake and the protection afforded by the mountains. Furthermore, sedimentation from glacial Lake Champlain had provided the valley with rich agricultural soil, “furnishing some of the finest farms in New England.”

Settlement in the Champlain Valley occurred rapidly, especially in the southern region, where most of the land along the lake was surveyed, granted and claimed before the Revolutionary War. New settlers faced many of the same obstacles as their colonizing ancestors: The densely forested ‘wilderness’ was virtually untraversable without a guide, and, once claimed, presented a

population whose survival depended on agriculture with the daunting task of clearing the land. Clearing was as much a pragmatic necessity as a cultural ritual, in which settlers established their rightful claim to the land by opening it up to cultivation.

Over the next 100 years, settlers cleared large swathes of the land in the state for agricultural use — by the late 1800s, according to the Sheldon Museum, more than half of Vermont’s 6 million acres of forest had become open land for farming.

In short order, the Vermont land was put to heavy agricultural use. Former Vermont secretary of agriculture Roger Allbee writes in his introduction to the recently released Farm to Plate plan that the state’s first foray into large-scale agriculture came in the 1830s, earning Vermont the reputation as the sheep capital of the world. Allbee reports that 1.5 million sheep roamed the landscape by 1840 — and Addison County was one of the centers of sheep

Addison County: Rich farmland, rich historyBy Andrea Suozzo

Stepping Back

Through the lensToday, Monument Farms Dairy is a household name in Addison County — the business distributes all its milk locally, from Orwell to Richmond.

Still a family-owned business, the dairy had humble roots. After spending some years on dairy farms in New York,in 1929 Richard and Marjorie James purchased the original 21-acre Weybridge farm (pictured above in 1926).

It wasn’t enough for Richard James to milk 20 cows and bottle it for neighbors — he wanted a larger distribution. So he purchased a milk route from a man who was retiring, and a few years later got a restaurant account (top left, Richard James in 1937).

In 1938 the farm began pasteurizing milk, and it continued to expand (bottom left, daugh-ter Millie James and her friend delivering milk, 1945). In 1949, Millie married Jim Rooney, and later the couple took over the business from her parents.

Today, Millie’s son Jon Rooney, Bob James and Peter James run the company, producing 200,000 pounds of milk each year.

production in the state.By 1850, however, wool markets had begun

to decline, paving the way for dairy’s debut on the statewide stage.

But clearing the land didn’t just change the state’s agricultural output; it changed the entire ecosystem, from wildlife to plants to waterways to soils — the very soils that had brought settlers to the land in the first place. The Henry Sheldon Museum points out:

Deforestation literally transformed the landscape, and its effects were immediately perceptible. As early as 1794, Vermont historian Samuel Williams noted that cleared land soon became “warm and dry,” while streams and brooks no longer supplied consistent waterflows.

As modern environmental historian William Cronon points out, “forests caused soils as much as soils caused forests.” The character of the soil changed dramatically with the clearing of forestland: Nutrients supplied by annual forest cycles were lost, drainage patterns changed unpredictably as water-retaining root systems were removed, and exposure to the considerable effects of direct sunlight widened the range of local climate conditions. Cleared land froze more deeply in the winter and thawed more quickly in the warm months, and while spring brought floodwater, the hot summer months often left streams and

rivers dry.

Still, according to Allbee, Vermont’s agricultural economy boomed until the early 20th century. Fluid milk had only regional markets at the time, but Vermont butter gained renown on Boston markets and went on to win awards and accolades on national and international markets.

In the early 1900s, competition from the West began to threaten Vermont’s markets for butter, and farms transitioned to producing fluid milk for regional markets. But, according to the Sheldon Museum, farms also began to go under around that time. A simultaneous conservation movement pushed for reforestation of abandoned farms.

Since the late 1800s, Vermont’s ecosystems have made a dramatic switch — now, nearly 80 percent of the state’s land has returned to forest.

Meanwhile, the number of farms in the state fell from 32,000 in 1900 to 6,984 in 2007. Dairy continues to be an economic driver — according to statistics laid out in the Farm to Plate plan, dairy brings in 73 percent of Vermont’s annual agricultural income.

And 2007 USDA census of agriculture statistics reveal Addison County to be at the very heart of agriculture in the state — the county brought in 24 percent of the state’s agricultural income, closely followed by Franklin County.


Looking Forward

Young farmers carve a growing niche in Addison CountyBy Andrea Suozzo

The aging of the American farmer is a specter that’s haunted the industry since 1974, when the average age of the American farmer first topped 50 years old. That number has crept upward with each agricultural census, reaching 56 nationally in 2007, and 56.5 in Vermont.

Take this alongside the steadily declining number of farms, as larger and larger farms take on production of the nation’s food, and the agricultural picture looks bleak.

But some Vermonters are telling a different story.

Between 2002 and 2007, the number of farms rose from 6,571 to 6,984, an increase of six percent.

And Jessie Schmidt, one of the coordinators of the University of Vermont Extension’s New Farmer Project, said that right now, there’s no shortage of people who

want to farm.“Every day we’re contacted by beginning

or aspiring farmers,” she said. “There’s a lot of interest out there.”

The New Farmer Project began last year, after those working with UVM Extension noticed an influx of people interested in farming. The project seeks to connect new farmers with opportunities and resources that will help them get their start. And, said Schmidt, the range of people who have contacted the project doesn’t fall into any one category.

“The people that we’re serving are a really diverse mix of people,” she said. “It’s everything from the junior generation taking over existing family farms to people new to farming.”

Data shows that younger farmers do represent a significant slice of those going

into the business — 28 percent of the new farmers in the project’s database are over 45, while 58 percent are under 35.

And Schmidt said she expects that balance to shift even more toward younger people in coming years.

“(Younger farmers) are definitely a growing contingent,” she said. “We’re looking at a situation nationally where we have an aging farmer base. There’s going to be a lot of farm transition.”The new farmer

A growing number of young people in Addison County are making the choice to go into the farming business, all for different reasons.

“It’s largely because I really like food,” said Caitlin Gildrien, 27, with a laugh.

Gildrien serves as outreach coordinator for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont and runs a two-acre farm in Middlebury with her husband Jeremy, 33. The couple sells their produce at the farmer’s market and through a small CSA (see sidebar).

“I feel like food, and raising food, is a way to get at a lot of environmental issues,” she said.

“For Jeremy, part of it is that he wanted to work for himself, not for someone else,” she added.

Matt Davis, 36, produces maple syrup and grows oyster and shiitake mushrooms on land in Monkton. It’s not a moneymaker right now — for his paycheck, he teaches

at Burlington College and the Community College of Vermont — but he is hoping to build the enterprise up to the point where it’s self-sustaining.

“It’s being able to work outdoors,” he said. “Getting to know a piece of land throughout the seasons, what lives here. Just seeing what goes on.

“I’m not going to get rich from it, but it’s a quality of life that not all other careers can bring.”

For Sara Granstrom, 25 it was partially family that brought her back to the land: Chris and Michaela Granstrom, her parents, own Lincoln Peak Vineyard in New Haven.

But it was also the diverse nature of the job.

“It’s rewarding to work with my hands, to have something tangible to show with what I’ve done,” she said. “Each individual job may be repetitive, but there’s a huge variety of tasks in farming in general, particularly in our business. Every week, every month, every season has a different variety of tasks.”

Granstrom said she’s not sure if she’ll be working on the vineyard forever, but she knows where she’ll

be.“I am definitely in Vermont for my

lifetime,” she said. “I’ve got really strong roots to the landscape and the community in this area.”

AnnaJo Smith, a senior at Vergennes Union High School, will be leaving for

Sara Granstrom of New Haven’s Lincoln Peak Winery, below, and Caitlin and Jeremy Gildrien of Middlebury’s Gildrien Farm, above, are among the younger generation working to make a living from the land in the county.

Independent photo/Trent Campbell Local VocabCSA

Stands for: Community Sup-ported Agriculture.

A sales strategy in which farm-ers and other food producers sell directly to local clients who have purchased a “share” in advance.

Shares are generally sold by the season, and they guarantee the buyer fresh, local food, often coming in weekly incre-ments, and the seller a guaran-teed source of income.

Some farms arrange central dropoff points, while some have buyers come to the farm for pickup.

You can find farms that dis-tribute produce by CSA in our directory, pages 14-19.

... continued on page 21

“We’re looking at a situation nationally where we have an ag-ing farmer base. There’s going to be a lot of farm transition.”

— Jessie Schmidt, UVM Extension


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Middlebury, Vermont

T he Nutrition Services Department at Porter Hospital is proud to serve locally produced

foods on our menus in order to provide the freshest foods for our patients and staff, support our local

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Doolittle FarmSmall diversified family farm in Shoreham

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• Organic pastured heritage style chickens and turkeys

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• Naturally raised and pastured lamb• Roving, custom spun yarn and pelts• Maple syrup produced on our wood

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Support AddisonCounty farms:

Buy Local!

Blue Meadow FarmBlue Stone FarmChamplain OrchardsDouglas OrchardsElmer FarmFlower PowerFoote Street FarmGarden ArtGildrien Family Farm

Golden Russet FarmKingsley’s Farm StandLalumiere FarmstandLewis Creek FarmLower Notch Berry FarmMaple Wind FarmMarble Rose FarmMountainyard FarmNew Leaf OrganicsNola Kevra’s FarmNorris Berry FarmOrb Weaver Farm

Quarry Hill GardenRockville Market FarmScott’s Greenbush GardensSinging Cedars FarmsteadStoney Lonesome FarmThanksgiving FarmThe Last ResortVermont Herb & Salad Co.Vermont Off-Season OrganicsWeybrige GardensWoods Market Gardens

A Family Farm in Orwellproducing delicious turkeys since 1987

Turkey and Turkey products,Ground Turkey and Sausages, Boneless and Boneless Skinless Breast

All our products are available at theMiddlebury Natural Food Co-op

(802) 948-2277

Cultivating and promoting synergy between the arts, education,and the environment through land-based activities since 2001.

Willowell is proud to partner with the ACORN Network in support of Farm to School in Addison County. Learn more about our gardening and

place-based education initiatives at willowell.org.

The Walden ProjectPond Brook Conservation Iniative

Professional DevelopmentSchool EnrichmentCommunity Garden

The Vermont Beef Producers Association

supports local foods and farms.

Our members in Addison County and surrounding towns include:

LaPlatte River Farm, Shelburne

Dick Francis, Hinesburg

Park Place Farm, Orwell

SMB Cattle Company, North Ferrisburg

East Run Farm, Orwell

Wild Iris Farm, Orwell

Shellhouse Mtn. Beef Farm, Ferrisburg

Millbrand Farm, Brandon

Cream Hill Farm, Shoreham [Freezer Beef] 802-897-5331

Salisbury Angus, Salisbury [Freezer Beef] 802-352-4586

Wagner Ranch, Bridport [Retail] 802-758-2912 or [email protected]

Spotted Dog Family Farm, Brandon [Retail] 802-247-6076

Riverbend Farm, Rochester [Retail] 802-767-3327

Gaylord Farm, Waitsfield [Retail] gaylordfarm.com

Russell Farm, Monkton [Freezer Beef] 802-453-4144

North Hollow Farm, Rochester [Retail] 802-767-4255

Vermont Natural Beef, Benson [Retail] 802-537-3711 or vtnaturalbeef.com

Mountain Meadows Farm, Sudbury [Retail] 802- 989-0514 or [email protected]

Lucas Cattle Company, Benson [Freezer Beef] 802-779-7261

Harvey Park Farm, Shoreham [Retail] (802)897-5051

Tammy Burnet, Salisbury [Freezer beef] 802-771-7153

Hemlock Knoll Farm Grass Fed Beef, New Haven [Freezer Beef]

Dick Stone 802-388-2318

Roads End Cattle Co. Panton [Feeders] 802-759-2050

August Jerger Ferrisburg (feeders)

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I find it ironic that the week I take care of my friend Margy’s laying hens, I am focusing on all the lovely ways to eat chicken. Margy’s chickens have names like Fajita and Curry and Tender (her turkeys were named Thanksgiving a n d Christmas). They seem excited to see me when I arrive in the late afternoon bearing a bucket of food scraps, and a scoop of corn. I check their water and lights while they argue over the leftover pasta and bits of lettuce and avocado. I look in the straw-filled boxes for eggs (today there are six, three blue-green and two brown and one white). And I look forward to eating a truly fresh egg, its deep golden yolk standing tall on its white. There’s nothing quite so delicious.

There was a time when I stopped eating chicken. I do not know whether I lost my taste for the ubiquitous white meat, or it lost its taste. Chicken just didn’t seem to have any flavor unless coated in some tangy, rich sauce, when it became a vehicle for the sauce. The flavor of the meat seemed to hover between sawdust and something faintly chemical, so I stopped eating and cooking it. Then I went to Italy -- and I made a discovery: Italian chicken tasted like something! This was not just because of the way it was cooked (though

that didn’t hurt); the chicken had a distinct and satisfying character all it’s own. Most of the meat was dark and it had texture.

The secret? Italian chickens were free to run around. They ate real food, foraging for grubs and scraps in the yard. I hadn’t heard

the terms “free range” or “organic” at that point – these values had not yet

been added. But the Italians hadn’t gone into mass production of their food the same way we had in the United States. Italian

chicken tasted the way it is supposed to—the way a

work-a-day chicken should.So now I only buy chicken

that has been raised where it can range around, and where

it has not been plumped up on a diet of hormones and grain. If I can

get a chicken that has run around in a friend’s yard, I do. If I can get an organic, free-range chicken, that is a treat. If I can get a local chicken

raised without hormones that has been free to move around, like the chickens at Misty Knoll Farm in New Haven, I do.

These chickens are more expensive than industrially raised chickens, no question about it. At least it seems that way until I focus on how many delicious meals I can produce from one “honest” chicken. By the time I have wrung the flavor out of that one modest bird in four meals, it costs my family of two less than two bucks a person per meal. Here’s how:

The most important thing to know about roasting an honest chicken is: keep it simple. This is about the chicken, not a lot of added flavors.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the “giblets,” the neck, liver, heart and organs contained in the cavity of the bird and reserve them. Rinse the entire bird including the cavity with cold water. Pat it dry.

Rub the inside of the cavity and the outside of the bird with a little olive oil (sometimes I use coconut oil), and salt and pepper. Core and peel a large apple, and cut it into pieces. Quarter one lemon. Put the pieces of fruit into the cavity of the bird, except for one piece that you will stuff into the opening under the flap of skin. Tuck the

flap of skin back under the bird. Stuff some fresh parsley into the mouth of the cavity.

Place the bird breast side up in a rack in a roasting pan and put in the pre-heated oven. I occasionally baste the chicken – but sometimes I forget and the bird still turns a beautiful golden brown. A 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pound bird will cook in about one and three quarters hours. Check for doneness by piercing the thigh with a fork: if the juices run clear, the bird is done. Cover the chicken with foil for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven to let it rest before you carve into it. The apple pieces from the cavity are delicious served beside the meat.

I start counting how many times this bird will feed us: two servings.

There are lots of options with the second foray into this chicken. Most nights I slice the remaining breast meat, and warm it gently in a sauce. I tend to experiment. One recent night I coated a pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil and heated it till the oil was liquid but not too hot.

Then I laid the slices of meat in it, and heated them gently for just a couple of

minutes (if you cook the chicken at too high

a temperature, or for too long, it becomes dry). While the meat was heating, I chopped up a fist-sized hunk of fresh pineapple and mixed it with the juice of one lime.

I laid the pineapple mixture on top of the meat, covered it, and cooked it one more minute. The chicken with pineapple mélange was served with the addition of fresh ground pepper and a little cilantro.

There was enough for three servings.

Now it is time to remove all the rest of the meat from the chicken. Once again, you have choices. The glistening pile of light and dark chicken meat can be made into creamed chicken (a childhood favorite), chicken tetrazzini (just the name sounds interesting), or what I usually concoct, a curry.

Every time I make a curry, it comes out differently. That’s the beauty of it. When my boys are home, I add potatoes and chickpeas to make it go farther. And sometimes after a day of work, I do not have time to grind all the spices. So here is a simple and quick way to make a curry with the last of the meat on the chicken carcass.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and when hot add a coarsely chopped medium sized onion. Sauté, stirring, till the onion wilts and is

transparent, adding a dash of salt and pepper

(this will take about five minutes). Add one to two tablespoons of curry powder (your taste) and continue to stir the onions for one to two more minutes. The curry powder blossoms when heated in the oil.

Add a cup of golden raisins. If you wish to have carrots in the curry, peel and cut three carrots into one half-inch long disks, and add to onions. Add a cup of chicken broth (see Part Four), cover and simmer till the carrots are just getting soft.

Add the chicken and continue heating. When the chicken is warm, it is time to add either a cup of sour cream, or a cup of heavy cream. Stir till thoroughly heated and somewhat thickened.

Serve with Basmati rice. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley and slivered almonds.

There will be enough curry for three servings.

After most of the meat is removed from the carcass, do not throw it away! It is time to make broth. My husband makes the broth in this household from the remains of anything that has been roasted: veal bones, lamb bones, duck bones, even pork bones when he makes pate, and, most frequently, chicken bones. The result of all these broths is that we have an unlimited supply of bases for soups.

The secret to a good broth is to simmer it slowly, barely bubbling on the stove (sometimes we put it on the edge of the woodstove). John’s recipe for chicken broth is based on Marcella Hazan’s and whatever other ingredients we happen to have in the house—except the leftover lemons from roasting the chicken. Remove them: they can give the broth a bitter overtone.

Place the chicken carcass and all bones in a 6- to 8-quart pot. Add a bay leaf; one medium onion cut in half with skin left on (the onion skin colors the broth to a golden-brown); a carrot or two chopped into 3-inch lengths; a celery stalk or two, preferably with leaves, chopped; one potato, peeled; one or

two canned tomatoes that you squeeze with

your hand as it goes into the pot; 8-10 pepper corns; and salt to taste.

Fill the pot with cold water to an inch or two above the carcass. Leaving the pot uncovered, bring the water to a gentle boil. Turn down the burner to bring the water to a very slow simmer, just bubbling. During the first 10-15 minutes check the broth for scum floating on the surface; remove it with a slotted spoon.

Cook for 2-3 hours. Let cool to room temperature and then pour through a sieve. John starts with a colander and then progresses to a finer sieve for a clear broth. Use immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container. It will last 4 days at least. If you keep it longer, bring it back to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

After the broth is refrigerated, you will notice that the fat rises to the top and solidifies. It can be removed with a spoon, and you are left with a healthy, fat free base for homemade soup, or risotto.

By the time I have made up a soup or risotto from the broth (two to four servings), one honest chicken has provided us with eight to twelve servings over at least four meals.

Four ways to cook a chickenBy Kate Gridley

In the kitchenPart One: The Roast

Part Two: The Leftovers

Part Three: Kate’s Curry

Part Four: John’s Chicken Broth

A moveable chicken house rests in a Weybridge field below Middlebury College’s Bicentennial Hall one afternoon last fall.



AddisonGarden ArtPaul Mahan | 1357 Route 17, Addison | 759-2752Vegetable transplants.

Harwood Farm Alden Harwood | 1582 Route 17, Addison | 989-0479 | [email protected] Hay.

Mike’s FarmMike Eastman | 435 Town House Road, Addison | 759-2764Organic milk, raw milk at farm, beef.

Vermont Green Meadows Lisa & Tim Davis | 3051 Route 22A, Addison | 759-3374 | [email protected] Tomatoes, corn, squash, peppers, cukes, turnips.

BensonFalkenbury FarmBob & Jacki Ambrozaitis | 1520 Park Hill Road, Benson | 537-2979 | [email protected], rabbits, goats, raw milk, turkey, farm stays.

Foggy Meadow FarmSally Beckwith & Paul Horton | 2494 Lake Road, Benson | 537-4754 | [email protected] Leeks, micro greens, tomatoes, corn, squash, peppers.

Over the Hill Farm John & Shelbie Wing | 502 Stage Road, Benson | 537-2811 | [email protected] Meat processing, USDA Inspected, certified organic.

Vermont Natural Beef Bob & Pati Stannard, | 1943 Stage Road, Benson | 537-3711 | vermontnaturalbeef.com Retail beef, custom cut and delivered.

Vt. Herb & Salad Company Jared & Heather McDermott | 1204 Money Hole Road, Benson | 537-2006 | [email protected] Organic salad greens.

BrandonNeshobe Farm Hannah Davidson | 142 Steinberg Road, Brandon | 310-8534 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, full range CSA, farmstand.

Woods Market Garden Jon Satz | 93 Wood Lane, Brandon | 247-6630 | [email protected] Vegetables, full range, pickles CSA, baked goods.

BridportChamplain AcresHenry & Donna Lawton | 5301 Lake Street, Bridport | 758-2396 | [email protected] Organic grain, hay, silage, wheat.

Champlain Valley Alpacas Les & Jenny Foshay | 152 Merino Lane, Bridport | 758-3276 | [email protected] Alpacas.

Champlain Valley Bees and QueensKirk Webster | PO Box 381, Middlebury | Bridport | 758-2501

Queen bees, raw honey, nucleus colonies.

Gleason’s Grains Theresa & Ben Gleason | 2076 East Street, Bridport | 758-2476 | [email protected] Organic wheat, sifted & whole wheat flour.

Heavenbound Farm Ginny & Harold Welch | 1446 Happy Valley Road, Bridport | 349-8829 Organic livestock, organic milk,

Hemenway Hillbillies of Vermont Cindy Myrick | Hemenway Hill, Bridport | 758-2436 | [email protected] Angus beef, organic raw milk, eggs maple syrup, honey, beeswax candle, jams, jellies.

Paul Connor FarmPaul & Marian Connor | 6858 Route 125, Bridport | 453-2333x2083 | [email protected] Organic hay, haylage.

Vermont Heritage Grazers, LLCAlethea Bahnck | 2175 East Street, Bridport | 758-5040 | [email protected] Pigs (whole and half), year-round eggs.

Wood Creek Farm Chip & Kathy Morgan | 560 Lake Street, Bridport | 758-2909 | [email protected]

Beef cuts.

BristolBaldwin Creek Apiaries Kevin Neil | 436 Dan Sargent Road, Bristol | 453-2792 Honey.

Bristol Community Gardens1 South Street, Bristol | 453-5885Garden sites.

Dreamhouse Orchard, George Landis | 382 Hewitt Road, Bristol | 453-2805 | [email protected] Apples PYO.

Hillsboro SugarworksDave & Sue Folino | 270 Rounds Road, Bristol | 453-5462 | [email protected] Certified organic maple syrup.

Lower Notch Berry Farm Al & Linda Lunna | 1946 Lower Notch Road, Bristol | 453-4220 | [email protected] & raspberries PYO.

Two Old Saps Paul & Luise Greco | 11 Spring Street Bristol | 453-3081 | [email protected] syrup.

VermushEric Swanson | Bristol | 881-8754 | [email protected] Wild harvested mushrooms.

Yore Fare Farm Anthony Myrick | 67 East Street Bristol | 453-6616 | [email protected] Pastured chicken, turkey, pork.

CornwallRobin Falta231 Bourdeau Road, Cornwall | 462-2331Duck eggs, chicken eggs.

Hibernia Farm Rene & Donna Audet | 188 Audet Road, Cornwall | 462-2434Organic hay.

Lemon Fair Honey Works Kristin Bolton & Andrew Munkres | 2703 West St Cornwall | 462-3722 | [email protected] Raw honey, comb honey from untreated bees.

Lemon Fair West Farm Sean & January Stearns | Quiet Valley Road, Cornwall | 462-2341 | [email protected] Natural beef.

Meeting Place Pastures Cheryl & Marc Cesario | 1368 West Street Cornwall | 462 -759 | [email protected] Organic beef, pork, ham, bacon, sausage, meat birds.

Moonlit Alpacas Carol & Cass Tillman | 2170 Route 125, Cornwall | 462-3510 | moonlitalpacas.com Alpaca breeding stock and fiber,

Mountain Meadows Brian Kemp & Amiel Cooper | 2711 Route 30, Cornwall | 989-0514 | [email protected] Organic beef, wholesale/retail, organic.

Pine Meadow Farm David & Sharon Reising | 4440 Route 30, Cornwall | 462-3582Raw milk, pork, eggs maple syrup.

Rowe Crest FarmDaniel Rowe | 123 Lambert Lane, Cornwall | 462-2609 Grass fed beef hay.

Severy Farm Joseph Severy | 6039 Route 30, Cornwall | 462-2515 Organic milk, bulk maple syrup.

Sunrise Orchards Barney Hodges | 1287 N. Bingham Street, Cornwall | 462-3500 | [email protected] Apples, cider.

Sunset Hill Farm Garden & Nursery Nancy Edson | 2771 Route 74, West Cornwall | 462-2497 | [email protected]

Addison County Food and Farm Directory

A cow chomps on some hay for an afternoon snack in Shoreham last April.Independent photo/Trent Campbell

A Note on the Map and Directory:The map and directory do not include all the food and dairy producers in Addison County. Producers listed are there by choice, and primarily represent businesses that supply local markets. If you are interested on being on the map in the future, please contact Susan Smiley at 352.9078.


Vegetable plants, annuals, perennials, baskets strawberries, blueberries.

Twig Farm Michael Lee & Emily Sunderman | 2575 South Bingham Street, Cornwall | 462-3363 | [email protected] Goat and mixed (raw) milk cheese.

Williams Farm Lucille Williiams | 5283 Route 30, Cornwall | 462-2470 | [email protected] Maple syrup, maple products.

Windfall Orchard, Bradley Koehler | 1491 Route 30, Cornwall | 462-3158 | www.windfallorchardvt.com Apples, cherries, plums, blueberries, cider, iced cider.

East MiddleburyElmer Farm Spencer & Jennifer Blackwell | 885 Case Street, East Middlebury | 388-3848 | [email protected] Organic vegetables wheat, black beans, CSA.

FerrisburghDakin Farm Sam Cutting | 5801 Route 7, Ferrisburgh | 425-3971 Maple Syrup

Earth House Farm Finn & Katherine Yarbrough | 4215 Sand Road, Ferrisburgh | 877-6288 | [email protected] Lamb, organic.

Flower Power VT Ann Flack | 991 Middlebrook Road, Ferrisburgh | 877-3476 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, dried flower designs, nursery plants, hops, herbs, eggs, Belgian sheep dogs (Tervuren).

Garden Goddess Michele Racine | 399 Quaker Street, Ferrisburgh | 425-4433 | [email protected] Flowers, annuals, perennials, vegetables starts, wedding flowers.

Good Companion Bakery Erik & Erica Andrus | 276 Burroughs Farm Road, Ferrisburgh | 877-1396 | [email protected] Beef, pork, bread, pastries and porridge.

Honey Gardens ApiariesTodd Hardie | 2777 Route 7, Ferrisburgh | 877-6766 | honeygardens.com Honey, honey products, elderberry syrup,

Kimball Brook Farm Cheryl & JD DeVos | 2263 Greenbush Road, Ferrisburgh | 425-3618 | [email protected] Organic milk products.

Lalumiere Farmstand & GreenhouseKarolyn & Louie Lalumiere | 3747 Sand Road, Ferrisburgh | 349-7782 Vegetables, bedding plants and seedlings soup, baked goods.

Scott’s Greenbush Gardens Bill & Donna Scott | 79 Quaker Street, Ferrisburgh | 425-2370 | [email protected] Vegetables, pumpkins, wholesale sweet corn &

melons, zucchini, summer squash, strawberries, fall raspberries, mums, PYO.

SMB Cattle Co. Scott & Michelle Barnes | 239 Quaker Street, Ferrisburgh | 425-2862 Beef.

Vt. Livestock Slaughter Carl Cushing | 76 Depot Street, Ferrisburgh | 877-3421 | vermontmeat.com USDA Inspected Meat Processing, beef, pork sides/qtrs, retail.

HuntingtonMaple Wind Farm Bruce Hennessey & Beth Whiting | 1340 Carse Road, Huntington | 434-7257 | maplewindfarm.com Vegetables, grass fed beef, lamb, pastured pork & poultry, eggs, maple syrup, CSA.

LeicesterDepot Farm Supply Rick Dutil | 2681 Leicester Whiting Road, Leicester | 247-6700 Organic animal feed.

Garland Goat SoapGreg, Linda & Nathaniel Moore | 671 Ferson

Road, Leicester | 247-9249 | [email protected] Goat milk soaps with essential oils, lip balm.

Mt. Pleasant Sugarworks Andy & Donna Hutchison | 1627 Shackett Road, Leicester | 247 3117 Maple syrup.

Oliver Hill Farm Suki Fredericks & James Maroney | 1033 Bullock Road, Leicester | 247-3479 | [email protected] Organic eggs, organic hay.

Stoney Lonesome Farm James Ellefson & Lesley Wright | 588 Fern Lake Road, Leicester | 247-5920 | [email protected] Organic garlic, vegetables.

Taconic End Farm Annie Claghorn & Caitlin Fox | 1395 Leicester Whiting Road, Leicester | 247-3979 | [email protected] Organic milk, bulk maple syrup.

LincolnBlue Meadow Farm Kristin Andrews | 696 Forge Hill Road, Lincoln | 453-6936 | [email protected] Organic herbs, vegetables organic eggs, goats,

Breault Family FarmJessica & Kevin Breault | 1200 French Settlement Road, Lincoln | 453-6792 Potatoes, garlic, lettuce chickens, broilers.

Isham Brook Farm William & Bonnie Roleau | 1426 W. River Road, Lincoln | 453-3713 Vegetables, beef, pork, retail cuts, maple syrup.

Meetinghouse Farm Ruth Shepherd & Ken Pohlman | 192 Isham Hollow Road, Lincoln | 453-4786 | [email protected] Lamb, grass fed beef.

Metta Earth InstituteGillian & Russell Comstock | 334 Geary Road, Lincoln | 453-8111 | [email protected] Vegetables, milk, eggs, flowers, CSA.

Pin Money Farm Stephen & Judith Harris | 514 W. River Road, Lincoln | 453-6384Goat’s milk, eggs.

Song Bird, Farm Nate Gusakov | 2344 Quaker Street, Lincoln | 453-7935 | fullbellyvt.com Grass fed beef, grain/grass fed pork, sausage, retail cuts.

Twin Maple Sugar Works Don & Jodi Gale | 88 River Road, West Lincoln | 453-2785 Maple syrup.

Weed Farm Sue Borg & Rashi Nessen | 613 Quaker Street, Lincoln | 453-7395 | [email protected] Herb plants (medicinal & culinary), fresh herbs, eggs, PYO.

MiddleburyChamplain Valley Apiaries Charles E. Mraz | 504 Washington Street, Ext., Middlebury | 388-7724 | champlainvalleyhoney.com Honey, bee products.

Foster Bros./Natural Ag Products Heather Foster-Provencher | 297 Lower Foote Street, Middlebury | 388-1137 | [email protected] Compost, potting soils.

Gildrien Farm Caitlin & Jeremy Gildrien | 340 Halladay Road, Middlebury | 989-7223 | gildrienfarm.com Vegetables, ginger, turmeric, CSA, pickles.

Green Mountain BeverageMiddlebury | 385-3630 Hard cider.

Happy Valley OrchardStan & Mary Pratt | 217 Quarry Road, Middlebury | 388-2411 | happyvalleyorchard.com Squash, tomatoes, sweet corn, apples, cider, cider donuts, baked goods, PYO.

Marble Rose Farm Sue Evans & Tom Cruk | 1733 Case Street, Middlebury | 388-9411 | [email protected] Organic tomatoes, melons, beans, pumpkins, asparagus, garlic, organic strawberries, raspberries, farmstand.An allium plant that has not quite flowered rises high into the air in Cannon Park last

June.Independent photo/Trent Campbell



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Addison CountyLocal Food Producers

01 0.5 Miles

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Addison CountyRegional Planning Commission

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Mt. View Farm

Animal Farm

Ledge Hill

Vermush

Bloomers

Ash Farm

Weed Farm

Twig Farm

Dakin Farm

Elmer Farm

Garden Art

LaDuc Acres

Lester Farm

Harris Farm

Mike's Farm

Miedema Farm

Russell Farm

Hescock Farm

Danzahn Farm

Red Sky Farm

Two Old Saps

Harwood Farm

Cli�ord Farm

Moo Moo Motel

Walden Garden

Gildrien Farm

Williams Farm

Hibernia Farm

MonumentFarms

Tio Grain Farm

Elysian Fields Millborn Dairy

Doolittle Farm

Stonewood FarmLake Home Farm

Song Bird Farm

SMB Cattle Co.

Garden Goddess

Yore Fare Farm

Ghyll-Fenn Farm

Wood Notch Farm

Tottingham Farm

Shoreham Winery

Douglas Orchard

Blue Stone Farm

Blue Ledge Farm

Farmhouse Table

Sweet Hill Farm

The Last Resort

Orb Weaver Farm

Maple Wind Farm

Flower Power Vermont

Rowe Crest Farm

Moonlit Alpacas

Wood Creek Farm

ChamplainAcres

Old Wooster Farm

Lewis Creek Farm

Brace Sugarhouse

Harvey Park Farm

Otter Creek Farm

Ledge Haven Farm

Crescent Orchard

Water HavenFarm

Misty Knoll Farm

Marble Rose Farm

Isham Brook Farm

Taconic End Oliver Hill

Earth House Farm

Windfall OrchardSunrise Orchards

Pine Meadow Farm

Mountain Meadows

Paul Connor Farm

Heavenbound Farm

Gleason's Grains

Weybridge Gardens

Shaker Maple Farm

Bee Happy Vermont

Norris Sugarworks

Maple Meadow Farm

North Branch Farm

Smith Family Beef

Olivia's Croutons

Norris Berry Farm

New Leaf Organics

Meetinghouse Farm

Depot Farm Supply

Madison Dairy Farm

Greenhaven Gardens

Kimball Brook Farm

Singing Brook Farm

Dunham Family Maple

Lincoln Peak WineryBreault Family Farm

Crawford Family Farm

Woodman HillOrchard

BrownHill Sugarworks

Nola's Secret Garden

Roads End Cattle Co.

Brookside Stock Farm

Happy Valley Orchard

Stoney Lonesome Farm

#15 Schoolhouse MapleRockville Market Farm

Sentinel Pine Orchard

Mt. Independence Farm

Metta Earth Institute

Vermont Green Meadows

Vt. O�season Organics

Twin Maple Sugar Works

Honey Gardens Apiaries

Lower Notch Berry Farm

Maggie Brook Sugarworks

Hallock Brook Farmstand

Singing Cedar Farmstead

South Hardscrabble Farm

Mt. Pleasant Sugarworks

Champlain Valley Alpacas

Champlain Valley Creamery

Sunshine Valley Berry Farm

Vermont Heritage Grazers, LLC

Hemenway Hillbillies of VT

Champlain Valley Bees and Queens

Meeting Place Pastures

Good Companion Bakery

Bristol Com. Gardens

Sunset Hill Gardenand Nursery

Garland Goat Soap

Little Hogback Farm

Boyers Orchard

Hall and Breen

VermontTrade Winds

Spring Mt. Herbs

Sentinel Farm

Severy Farm

Heudorfer Farm

Blue Meadow Farm

Golden RussetFarm

Dreamhouse Orchard

Vadeboncoeur Nougat

LaFayette Farmstand

Otter Creek BrewingScholten Family Farm

Highland Sugar Works

Lemon Fair West Farm

Lemon Fair Honey Works

Buxton's Custom Cutting

Rockwell Family Farmstand

Scott's Greenbush Gardens

Champlain Valley Apiaries

Foster Brothers

Eagles FlightFarm

Green Mt. Beverage

Hillsboro Sugarworks

LaLumiere FarmVermont Live Stock

DeVosFarm

Champlain Orchards

River Bend Farm

Middlebury Area Community Garden115 Porter Drive, Middlebury | [email protected] sites.

Otter Creek Brewing Brendan Rogers | 793 Exchange Street, Middlebury | 388 0727Craft Beers

Omar Fugaro Middlebury | 282-6739 | [email protected] Raspberries, melons, plums, pears.

MonktonBoyer’s Orchard, & Cider MillDavid & Genny Boyer | 1823 Monkton Road, Monkton | 453-2248 | [email protected], pears, cider, pies, donuts, PYO

Little Hogback FarmMatt Davis | Monkton | 598-8204Maple syrup.

New Leaf OrganicsJill Koppel | 4818 Bristol Road, Monkton | 453-6160 | [email protected] vegetables, flowers, plants, CSA, PYO.

Norris Berry Farm Norma Norris | 686 Davis Road, Monkton | 453-3793 | [email protected] Rhubarb, tomatoes, cukes, squash, beans, lettuce, peppers, herbs, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, black currants, jams/jellies, PYO.

Orb Weaver Farm Marjorie Susman | 3406 Lime Kiln Road, Monkton | 877-3755 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, cheese, raw milk, beef.

South Hardscrabble FarmJoan Cook | 93 Choiniere Road, Monkton | 453-2290 | [email protected] Vegetables, wide variety strawberries, blueberries, baked goods, pickles, farmstand.

The Last Resort Eugenie Doyle & Sam Burr | 2246 Tyler Bridge Road, Monkton | 453-2847 | lastresortfarm.com Organic garlic, mixed vegetables, organic strawberries, raspberries, blueberries eggs hay, CSA, PYO, farmstand.

Walden Community Garden Matt Schlein | 1823 Monkton Road, Monkton | 453-6195 | willowwell.org Garlic, kale, pickled products, vegetables.

New HavenAsh Farm Watson Scott | 3105 River Road, New Haven | 388-7878 | [email protected] Pumpkins, beef.

Greenhaven Gardens Peter Norris | 2638 Ethan Allen Hwy, New Haven | 453-5382 | [email protected] Certified organic mixed vegetable starts.

Lester Farm Sam & Maura Lester | 2297 Ethan Allen Highway New Haven 453 3132 [email protected] Vegetables.

Lincoln Peak Winery Chris & Sarah Granstrom | 142 River Road, New Haven | 388-7368 | [email protected] Wine.

Misty Knoll Farm

Minda Lafountain | 1687 Main Street, New Haven | 453-4748 | mistyknollfarm.com Turkeys, chickens, turkey & chicken pot pies.

Olivia’s Croutons Francie Caccavo | 1423 North Street, New Haven | 453-2222 | [email protected] Wheat, flour, croutons.

Riverbend Farm George Crane | 3357 River Road, New Haven | 388-8044 Vegetables, maple syrup, Christmas trees.

Smith Family Beef Harvey Smith | 2516 Lime Kiln Road, New Haven | 877-2712 | [email protected] Grass fed beef, retail cuts, pastured pork, poultry, eggs.

Sweet Hill Farm Chris & Dianne Bingham | 3835 Ethan Allen Highway, New Haven | 453-7751 | [email protected] Sweet corn, tomatoes, cukes, squash, pumpkins cut flowers.

Water Haven Farm Barb Torian & Tim Bouton | 181 South Street, New Haven | 453-4596 [email protected] Maple syrup.

Wendy & Randy Butler1846 Halpin Road, New Haven | 388-3209Maple syrup.

OrwellAnimal Farm Diane St. Clair | 194 Old Sawmill Road, Orwell | 623-6599Butter, buttermilk, humanely raised veal and pork.

BloomersKaren Hescock | 13 Beauvais Road, Orwell | 948-2434 | bloomersgardenflowers.comFlower arrangements, perennials, landscaping.

Brookside Stock Farm Tench Murray & Olga Sears | 183 Route 22A, Orwell | 948-2211 | [email protected] Vegetables, organic rhubarb, organic grass-fed belted galloway beef, USDA-inspected, individual cuts, heritage poultry, sheep and pigs, maple syrup, honey.

Crescent OrchardAndrea Ochs | 37 Needham Hill Road, Orwell | 948-2670 | [email protected] Mixed vegetables apples, plums, pears, cherries, apricots, seconds for canning.

Eagle’s Flight Farm Elizabeth Frank | 212 Mt. Independence Road, Orwell | 948-2840 | [email protected],Workshops and farm stays.

East Run Farm Jacqueline & Jonathan Bump | Orwell | 257-0687Organic hay.

Hall & Breen Farm Louis Hall & Jennifer Breen | 177 Route 73, Orwell | 989-9247 Bulk organic milk.

Addison County Food


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H A N C O C KH A N C O C K

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H I N E S B U R G

M I D D L E B U R Y

H U N T I N G T O NH U N T I N G T O N

G O S H E N

P I T T S F O R DP I T T S F O R D

C O R N W A L LC O R N W A L L

S A L I S B U R Y

S U D B U R YS U D B U R Y

P A N T O NP A N T O N

L E I C E S T E R

L E I C E S T E R

P I T T S F I E L D

W A I T S F I E L DW A I T S F I E L D

W E Y B R I D G E

W A L T H A MW A L T H A M

B O L T O NB O L T O N

S T O C K B R I D G ES T O C K B R I D G E

R O X B U R YR O X B U R Y

K I L L I N G T O N

R I C H M O N DR I C H M O N DS H E L B U R N ES H E L B U R N E

B U E L L ' S G O R E

V E R G E N N E SV E R G E N N E S

W A T E R B U R YW A T E R B U R Y

M O R E T O W NM O R E T O W N

N O R T H F I E L D

GRANVILLE

MIDDLEBURY

WEYBRIDGE

NEW HAVEN

ADDISON

BRIDPORT

CORNWALL

SHOREHAM

WHITING

ORWELL

PANTON

VERGENNES

WALTHAM

FERRISBURGH

BRISTOL

MONKTON

STARKSBORO

Lake

Cha

mpl

ain

Addison CountyLocal Food Producers

01 0.5 Miles

1 0 1 20.5Kilometers9

Addison CountyRegional Planning Commission

!

Mt. View Farm

Animal Farm

Ledge Hill

Vermush

Bloomers

Ash Farm

Weed Farm

Twig Farm

Dakin Farm

Elmer Farm

Garden Art

LaDuc Acres

Lester Farm

Harris Farm

Mike's Farm

Miedema Farm

Russell Farm

Hescock Farm

Danzahn Farm

Red Sky Farm

Two Old Saps

Harwood Farm

Cli�ord Farm

Moo Moo Motel

Walden Garden

Gildrien Farm

Williams Farm

Hibernia Farm

MonumentFarms

Tio Grain Farm

Elysian Fields Millborn Dairy

Doolittle Farm

Stonewood FarmLake Home Farm

Song Bird Farm

SMB Cattle Co.

Garden Goddess

Yore Fare Farm

Ghyll-Fenn Farm

Wood Notch Farm

Tottingham Farm

Shoreham Winery

Douglas Orchard

Blue Stone Farm

Blue Ledge Farm

Farmhouse Table

Sweet Hill Farm

The Last Resort

Orb Weaver Farm

Maple Wind Farm

Flower Power Vermont

Rowe Crest Farm

Moonlit Alpacas

Wood Creek Farm

ChamplainAcres

Old Wooster Farm

Lewis Creek Farm

Brace Sugarhouse

Harvey Park Farm

Otter Creek Farm

Ledge Haven Farm

Crescent Orchard

Water HavenFarm

Misty Knoll Farm

Marble Rose Farm

Isham Brook Farm

Taconic End Oliver Hill

Earth House Farm

Windfall OrchardSunrise Orchards

Pine Meadow Farm

Mountain Meadows

Paul Connor Farm

Heavenbound Farm

Gleason's Grains

Weybridge Gardens

Shaker Maple Farm

Bee Happy Vermont

Norris Sugarworks

Maple Meadow Farm

North Branch Farm

Smith Family Beef

Olivia's Croutons

Norris Berry Farm

New Leaf Organics

Meetinghouse Farm

Depot Farm Supply

Madison Dairy Farm

Greenhaven Gardens

Kimball Brook Farm

Singing Brook Farm

Dunham Family Maple

Lincoln Peak WineryBreault Family Farm

Crawford Family Farm

Woodman HillOrchard

BrownHill Sugarworks

Nola's Secret Garden


Brookside Stock Farm

Happy Valley Orchard

Stoney Lonesome Farm

#15 Schoolhouse MapleRockville Market Farm

Sentinel Pine Orchard

Mt. Independence Farm

Metta Earth Institute

Vermont Green Meadows

Vt. O�season Organics

Twin Maple Sugar Works

Honey Gardens Apiaries

Lower Notch Berry Farm

Maggie Brook Sugarworks

Hallock Brook Farmstand

Singing Cedar Farmstead

South Hardscrabble Farm

Mt. Pleasant Sugarworks

Champlain Valley Alpacas

Champlain Valley Creamery

Sunshine Valley Berry Farm

Vermont Heritage Grazers, LLC

Hemenway Hillbillies of VT

Champlain Valley Bees and Queens

Meeting Place Pastures

Good Companion Bakery

Bristol Com. Gardens

Sunset Hill Gardenand Nursery

Garland Goat Soap

Little Hogback Farm

Boyers Orchard

Hall and Breen

VermontTrade Winds

Spring Mt. Herbs

Sentinel Farm

Severy Farm

Heudorfer Farm

Blue Meadow Farm

Golden RussetFarm

Dreamhouse Orchard

Vadeboncoeur Nougat

LaFayette Farmstand

Otter Creek BrewingScholten Family Farm

Highland Sugar Works

Lemon Fair West Farm

Lemon Fair Honey Works

Buxton's Custom Cutting

Rockwell Family Farmstand

Scott's Greenbush Gardens

Champlain Valley Apiaries

Foster Brothers

Eagles FlightFarm

Green Mt. Beverage

Hillsboro Sugarworks

LaLumiere FarmVermont Live Stock

DeVosFarm

Champlain Orchards

River Bend Farm

Map produced by the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC), in collaboration with the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) and Middlebury College student Jess Minton.

LaDuc Acres Robby LaDuc | 32 Royce Hill Road, Orwell | 948-2681 | [email protected] Maple syrup, maple products.

Lake Home Farm Inc. Gerry & Cheryl Audet | 399 Mt. Independence Road, Orwell | 948-2888 [email protected] Sunflower seed for bird feed, all natural grassfed beef.

Ledge Haven Farm Thomas & Michael Audet | 145 Mt. Independence Road, Orwell | 948-2545 | [email protected] Maple syrup and maple products.

Maple Shade Farm Bob & Sue Balfe | Orwell | 948-2829Organic bulk milk.

Morningside Farm Brian & Patty Wilson | 101 Hemmingway Hill Road, Orwell | 948-2675 | [email protected] Organic bulk milk.

Mt. Independence Farm David & Deborah Lamontagne | 34 Shoales Dr., Orwell | 948-2693 | [email protected] Organic barley, soy, wheat and beef.

Red Sky Farm Ed & Paula Barnes | 613 Route 73, Orwell | 948-2566 | [email protected] Vegetables, dried ornamentals.

Singing Cedar Farmstead Scott Greene | 30 Black Snake Ln., Orwell | 948-2062 | [email protected] Certified organic vegetables eggs, chicken, turkey, CSA, prepared foods, special order and wholesale and some delivery.

Singing Cedars Farm James & Louise Carlotto | 15 Wicker Lane, Orwell | 948-2382 Beef, veal, organic hay.

Stonewood Farm Peter Stone | 105 Griswold Lane, Orwell | 948-2277 | [email protected] Turkeys, turkey products.

PantonFarmhouse Table Theresa Smith | 21 Fisher Lane, Panton | 345-5360 | [email protected] Locally raised, all natural,beef, pork, chicken & turkey,

Otter Creek Farm Annie Henderson | 354 Basin Harbor Road, Panton | 475-2940 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, seasonal and root crops, pastured pork, poultry and eggs,


Dean Jackson | 420 Jackson Road, Panton | 759-2050 | roadsendcattleco.com Grass fed freezer beef, purebred Polled Herefords, show prospects.

PittsfordGroundworks Farm Kevin Brown & Margaret Evans | PO 437, Pittsford | (703) 347-2448 Vegetables, pastured chicken, pork, egg, Middlebury CSA.

RiptonMountainyard Farm Freeman & Mia Allen | Ripton | 388-7394 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, greenhouse tomatoes.

Nola’s Secret Garden Nola Kevra | 2936 Natl. Forest Route 59, Ripton | 388-6107 Organic greens, herbs, plants, mixed vegetables, agriculture, educational activities.

North Branch Farm Sebastian Miska & Kate Corrigan | 1652 Lincoln Road, Ripton | 388-2059 | greenmountaingrown.comLacto-fermented vegetables, chickens, pork, ducks, turkey, eggs and more, CSA.

RochesterSunshine Valley Berry Farm Rob Meadows & Patricia Rydle | 129 Ranger Road, Rochester | 767-3989 | [email protected] Organic blueberries, rasperries, blackberries PYO.

SalisburyBlue Ledge FarmHannah Sessions | 2001 Old Jerusalem Road, Salisbury | 247-0095 | [email protected] Goat cheese, fresh, aged.

Four Family FarmAlex Wylie | 8 Shard Villa Road, Salisbury | 352-4452 | [email protected] lamb, beef, pastured pork & poultry, eggs.

Heudorfer Farm Paul & Chris Heudorfer | 195 Leland Road, Salisbury | 352-4586 Beef.

Maple Meadow Farm Jackie & George DeVoid | 518 Maple Street, Salisbury | 352-4241 | [email protected].

Moo Moo Motel Terry & Susan Quesnel | 213 Dewey Road, Salisbury | 352-9070 Organic milk, bulk.

ShorehamBlue Stone Farm John Reynolds & Edwina Ho | 869 Watchpoint Road, Shoreham | 897-5333 | clayman@

and Farm Directory


shoreham.net Certified organic vegetables, hard neck garlic, grass-fed beef,

Champlain Valley Orchards Bill Suhr | 2955 Rte 74, Shoreham | 897-2777 | [email protected] Organic mixed vegetables, apples, plums, raspberries, cherries, apple pies, apple slices, organic cider, CSA.

Cream Hill Farm Paul Saenger | PO Box 205, Shoreham | 897-2101 Beef,

Danzahn FarmJulie Danyew | 44 Hemenway Hill Road, Shoreham | 948-2852 | [email protected] Artisanal goat cheese.

Douglas OrchardScott Douglas | 1050 Route 74, West Shoreham | 897-5043 | [email protected], cider, apples, rapsberries, cherries, strawberries PYO.

Elysian Fields Kathleen, Joseph & Tir Hescock | 3658 Route 74 W Shoreham 897 7484 Beef and pork by the half or whole, organic milk, bulk.

Golden Russet Farm Will & Judy Stevens | 1329 Lapham Bay Road, Shoreham | 897-7031 | [email protected] Organic bedding, plants, vegetables, CSA.

Harvey Park Farm Susan Harvey | 372 Lapham Bay Road, Shoreham | 897-5051All natural grass fed beef,

Madison Dairy FarmGeorge & Joann Madison | 2806 Smith Road, Shoreham | 897-2024 | [email protected] Bulk milk, garlic tincture for livestock, organic eggs.

Millborn Dairy Gert Schut | 322 Shoreham Depot Road, Shoreham | 897-2737 | [email protected] Drinkable yogurt.

Morningside Farm Brian & Patti Wilson | 101 Hemenway Hill Road, Shoreham | 948-2675 | [email protected] Organic milk, organic Jersey calves and cattle.

Sentinel Pine Orchard, Whitney & Roberta Blodgett | 832 Witherell Road, Shoreham | 897-7931 | sentinelpineorchard.com Apples, tours (Sept .to May), direct sales.

Shoreham WineryPat & Greg Borah | 3442 Route 22A, Shoreham | 897-7126 Wine.

Tio Grain Farm Ken VanHazinga & Ann Harper | 32 Doolittle Road, Shoreham | 897-5420 Organic grain.

Tottingham Farm Story & Dia Jenks | 277 Tottingham Road, Shoreham | 897-5155 | [email protected] Organic eggs, organic hay, straw.

VT Tradewinds Farm Tim & Loraine Hescock | 1674 Route 74, Shoreham | 897-5447 | [email protected] Vegetables, maple syrup, maple products.

Wood Notch Farm Gail Wood | 5866 Route 22A, Shoreham | 897-8201Bulk milk.

Starksboro#15 Schoolhouse MapleDavid & John Adsit | 198 Brown Hill Road, Starksboro | 425-3624 | [email protected] Maple syrup.

Bee Happy Vermont Pedro Salas | 258 Big Hollow Road, Starksboro | 453-7996 | [email protected]

Honey, Christmas mead, honey comb, honey cream, beeswax candles.

Brace Sugarhouse Henry Emmons | 160 Sugarhouse Lane, Starksboro | 434-2382 Maple syrup, maple products.

BrownHill Sugarworks Daniel & Dolliver | Brown Hill Road, Starksboro | 453-3794 Maple syrup.

Clifford Farm Eric Clifford | 6147 Route 116, Starksboro | 453-3810 | [email protected] Bulk milk.

Dunham Family Maple Jeff & Betsy Dunham | 3702 Ireland Road, Starksboro | 453-4219 Maple syrup.

Ghyll-Fenn Farm

Above, a colorful bunch of radishes sits at a Middlebury Farmer’s Market booth in July 2009. Bottom left, homegrown garlic hangs up to dry late last summer. Bottom right, a bunch of grapes hang in the shade one sunny day last September.


Photo by Andrea Suozzo

Photo bt Jessie Raymond Photo by Trent Campbell


Addison County Food and Farm DirectoryChris Brady | 3556 Route 17, Starksboro | 453-2330 Maple syrup.

Hallock Brook Farmstand Robert Lang & Roxanne Smith | 1901 Robert Young Road, Starksboro | 453-3378 Vegetables, pastured poultry, pork, turkeys, maple syrup.

Jim Mac Isaac Sugarbush Bean Road, at the end, Starksboro | 479-1747 Maple syrup.

LaFayette FarmstandRick & April Lafayette | Starksboro | 453 7848 Vegetables, berries, maple syrup.

Lewis Creek Farm Hank Bissell | 3071 Route 116, Starksboro | 453-4591 [email protected] Mixed vegetables, eggs, pickles, CSA.

Maggie Brook Sugarworks John & Rita Elder | Ruby Brace Road, Starksboro | 453-3625 | [email protected] Organic maple syrup.

Norris Sugarworks Kelly & Kathleen Norris | 745 Robert Young Road, Starkboro | 453-4753 | [email protected] Maple syrup.

Rockville Market Farm Eric & Keenan Rozendaal | 205 Cemetery Road, Starksboro | 355-0059 | [email protected] Organic vegetables, whole and peeled winter squash, raspberries, eggs, chicken, pork, spring, summer & fall/winter CSAs, meat CSA.

Rockwell Family Farmstand Rick & April Rockwell | 12 Ireland Road, Starksboro | 453-7848 | [email protected] Vegetables, sweet corn, tomatoes, cukes blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, maple syrup, homemade pies & breads.

Russell Farm David Russell | 1248 Route 116, Starksboro | 453-2208 | [email protected] corn, winter squash, bulk milk, maple syrup.

Shaker Maple Farm Leah & Steve Wilsey | 2047 Shaker Hill Road, Starksboro | 434-5353 Organic maple syrup.

Spring Mountain Herbs of Vermont Margi Gregory | 4570 Ireland Road, Starksboro | (413) 320-1920 | [email protected] Western, Chinese, Ayurvedic herbs, teas, oils, soup bases.

Dan Faircloth 439 Robert Young Road, Starksboro | 453-4893 | [email protected] Maple Syrup

Mountain View Farm Erin Buckwalter & Mike Shepard | 101 Mountain View Farm Lane, Starksboro | 349-5785 | [email protected] Pastured eggs, pork & chicken.

Mountain View Farm Larry & Sue Shephard | 1109 Robert Young Road, Starksboro | 453-4217 Beef.

SudburyRupp’s Custom Cutting Rupert Larock | 2015 Willowbrook Road, Sudbury | 247-4570 Meat processing.

VergennesChamplain Valley Creamery Carleton Yoder | 11 Main Street, Vergennes | 877-2950 | [email protected] Organic cream cheese, Champlain Triple Créme cheese.

Margaret Lowe’s Green Street GardensMargaret Lowe | 150 Green Street, Vergennes | 277-3783 | [email protected] vegetables, tomatoes, beans, jams, jellies, pickles, homemade bread.

Vadeboncoeur Nougat Didier Murat | 247 Main Street, Vergennes | 870-7157Confectionary nougat.

Vergennes Community Garden Carol Kress | Vergennes | 759-7777Garden plots.

Woodman Hill Orchard David Ambrose | 175 Plank Road, Vergennes | 989-2310 | [email protected] Apples, PYO & prepicked, drops.

WalthamMiedema Farm Tom Miedema | 1410 Maple Street, Waltham | 877-2893 Eggs, bulk organic milk.

WeybridgeLedge Hill Farm Violet LaFountain | 58 La Fountain Lane, Weybridge | 545-2104 | [email protected] Vegetables, flowers, fruits, USDA-inspected goat meat, raw goat milk, eggs, baked goods, jams.

Monument Farms Robert James | 2107 James Road, Weybridge | 545-2119 Milk, bottled cream, half & half, chocolate milk.

Scholten Family Farm Roger & Patricia Scholten | 1097 Weybridge Road, Weybridge | 545-2522 | [email protected] Bulk milk, organic raw milk, cheese.

Vt. Offseason Organics Walt & Goodale | 4818 Snake Mountain Road, Weybridge | 349-9325 | [email protected] Certified organic bedding, plants, transplants.

Weybridge Gardens Audra Ouelette & Kris Bowdish | 181 Thompson Hill Road, Weybridge | 545-2306 Pumpkins, sweet corn.

WhitingCrawford Family Farm Sherry Crawford, | 165 Sawyer Needham Road, Whiting | 623-6383 | [email protected] Farmstead Ayrshire cheese.

Old Wooster Farm Paul & Doris Seiler | 438 Wooster Road, Whiting | 462-3140 Organic bulk milk.

As temperatures warm and the snow begins to melt, Addison County maple sugarmak-ers head for the sugarbushes to begin boiling off sap. Top right, Zach Sullivan, 18, stokes the fire last winter under an evaporator that he and five friends put together in a small Ferrisburgh barn. At bottom, Sullivan and Eric VanWyck check for syrup. Above, a New Haven sugarhouse sat ready for snow last October.


Photo by Trent Campbell


The Addison County Gleaning Program grew as vigorously as our farms’ crops this past year. After a successful inauguration in 2009, interest and participation in the program grew dramatically, resulting in huge increases in healthy food available at our county’s food shelves. Beginning with an early spinach glean in March at Singing Cedars Farmstead and ending with a large donation of winter squash from Golden Russet Farm in December, the gleaning program salvaged a total of 19,508 pounds of fresh, local produce from our county’s fields in 2010, more than doubling our harvest from our first year. Thirty-six different farms and market gardens contributed to the gleaners, as well as a large number of home gardeners who generously donated extra produce to families in need. Special recognition goes to Will and Judy Stevens of Golden Russet Farm, Sam and Maura Lester of Lester Farm, Karolyn LaLumiere of LaLumiere Farm, and Spencer and Jennifer Blackwell of Elmer Farm for being our top donors, all giving in the thousands of pounds (see below for a complete list of contributors). Gleaners distributed produce to food shelves and meal sites around the county, including the Addison County Food Shelf at HOPE, Vergennes Food Shelf, Bristol Food Shelf, John Graham Shelter, Living Well, Community Supper and Lunch programs, VT Adult Learning Children’s Lunch Program, Middlebury Parent Child Center, and the Bristol Family Center.

Without funding for a full time gleaning coordinator this past year, volunteers invented creative solutions to manage responsibilities. Thanks to student ingenuity and funding from Middlebury College’s Alliance for Civic Engagement, gleaners Corinne Almquist and Julie Clark were able to rely on the strong leadership of students Jessie Ebersole, Jacob Udell, and Kate Olen for direction of the program. In another partnership with the college, five Middlebury freshmen (led by two upperclassmen) participated in a full weekend of gleaning and food processing as part of a volunteer service orientation. Younger scholars, too, were able to enjoy the sunshine and learn about local agriculture as part of the gleaning program. Students from the Red Cedar School in Bristol embarked on their second annual gleaning field trip in 2010, harvesting almost 200 pounds of food from New Leaf Organics in Bristol and Lester Farm in New Haven.

Labor did not end in the fields in the attempt to salvage produce; staff and volunteers at HOPE were kept busy all season processing food for fall and winter storage. We filled our freezer with produce, applesauce, and apple pie filling that were distributed in Thanksgiving and winter holiday baskets.

The gleaning program truly stands testament to the generosity of our neighbors in Addison County. The program remains productive and strong due to the enormous donations of food, time, and supplies from so many different volunteers.

We look forward to another year of increasing access to local foods in our county, and we need your help! Once again, we encourage you to Grow an Extra Row in your garden to donate to the food shelf. Greens like spinach and lettuce provide a healthy alternative to processed, non-perishable foods, and storage crops like winter squash, onions, and carrots will keep well at HOPE for late fall and early winter distribution. If you are interested in helping to coordinate the gleaning program for 2011, or would like to volunteer in any capacity, let us know! You can email us at [email protected] or call Corinne at 377-1435. We look forward to seeing you in the fields

(or in the kitchen) this growing season!

Thanks to our 2010 Contributors:

Golden Russet FarmLester FarmLaLumiere FarmElmer FarmMiddlebury College Organic GardenSinging Cedars FarmsteadNew Leaf OrganicsLast Resort FarmCharlotte Berry FarmSunrise OrchardsSouth Hardscrabble FarmScott’s Greenbush GardensFoster Brothers FarmGildrien FarmWalden ProjectNeshobe FarmPedalbarrow FarmHappy Valley OrchardSunrise Hill Farm and FardenMarble Rose FarmVermont Hydroponics4Ever Green Garden ClubFoggy Meadow FarmMt. Abe High School GardenLeValle’s FarmstandHawk Hill FarmRoundabout SproutsNorris Berry FarmBlue Meadow FarmBig Hollow FarmShepherd’s Boy FarmFour Pillars FarmMaple Hill FarmGood Earth FarmRockville Market FarmSpring Mountain Herbsand many, many generous home gardeners!

With gratitude,The Addison County Gleaning Program

Local VocabGleaning

The process of harvesting leftover, surplus and less-than-perfect crops on a farm — the ones that, while perfectly good, either would not sell or would take too much time to harvest to make it worth picking.

Gleaning efforts route produce that would otherwise be wast-ed to those who can benefit from it. In Addison County, the produce goes to area food shelves and shelters.

To get involved, send an e-mail to [email protected]

A third generation family ownedcompany, Champlain Valley Apiaries

has been producing and packing high quality naturally crystalized,

unheated and unfiltered honeysince 1931. With 1200 honey beecolonies in the Champlain Valleywe are as local as your back yard.

Charles Mraz1905-1999

Champlain Valley ApiariesWashington Street Ext. Middlebury

388-7724www.champlainvalleyhoney.com

Gleaners thank community for ongoing support

By Corinne Almquist

The Addison County Gleaning Program –moving food from the fields to the families who need it.

You can help. Find out how at www.hope-vt.org

Helping to overcome poverty’seffects in Addison County since 1965.

282 Boardman Street, Middlebury, VT 802-388-3608

H o p e


college next year to study agricultural education or diversified agriculture, but she, too, said she’ll be back after graduation.

While neither of her parents farms, AnnaJo grew up working with her grandfather, State Rep. Harvey Smith (R- New Haven), on his farm. A longtime dairy farmer, Harvey transitioned to raising forage crops and producing grass-fed beef, pork, turkey, chickens and eggs.

“From everything I’ve done with my grandfather, he’s shown me how much there can be in agriculture,” she said.

AnnaJo, with the help of teachers from the Hannaford Career Center, is working on a plan to build a slaughterhouse at her grandfather’s farm to address a regional shortage.

Following her graduation from college, AnnaJo said she hopes to teach at the vocational high school level and, of course, to work on her grandfather’s farm.

“Leaving the family farm is not something I could do,” she said. “Continuing our farm has importance to me, and moving into slaughter has an importance to the community. Everybody needs to eat.”Creating community

Many young farmers are reaching out and finding ways to get involved, both with others in their community and on a statewide level.

Derrick Dykstra, Phil Livingston and John Chamberlain are co-presidents of the Addison County Young Farmers group, which brings together young people involved in the county dairy industry for

monthly informational events, keeping its members up to date with the business and the politics of agriculture.

In December, the group invited then Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin to speak in Addison, and in February a number of the group’s members attended a recent bus trip to speak with state representatives in Montpelier.

“We needed to see what was coming down the pipe,” said Livingston in December.

Caitlin Gildrien said creating a community is important for the purposes of sharing knowledge like how best to deal with clay soils, but it’s also important for facing the emotional challenges of the agricultural live.

“From the emotional standpoint, if it’s been raining for a month, someone who is not a farmer doesn’t necessarily have an idea of what that means for you,” she said.Facing the challenges

Weather is just one of a host of challenges that accompany the agricultural business, especially for young and beginning farmers.

“For young farmers, the primary challenges are access to land and access to capital,” said UVM’s Schmidt.

With a recent growth in direct sales opportunities like farmers’ markets and CSAs (see sidebar), said Schmidt, the challenge of how and where to sell food is an easier one to overcome.

Other challenges that new farmers face, she said, depend on their backgrounds.

“We talk to people who have plant and soil science degrees, and then second career people who might have a strong business and marketing background but not a lot of

AnnaJo Smith, second from right, was part of the Vergennes FFA Dairy Foods team that took a silver medal at the National FFA Convention last fall. Other members of the team were Adam Delisle, Ben Rao and Jason Vorsteveld; their coach is Harmon S. Boyce Jr.

Young Farmerscontinued from page 9 ...

production knowledge,” she said. “There’s a real diversity of needs out there.”

Schmidt said there are a growing number of grants and other opportunities available to young farmers hoping to address these challenges.

And Caitlin Gildrien said there are other challenges to the job.

“It’s a lifestyle in addition to just being a job,” she said. “We don’t go anywhere in the summer, and we don’t go very far in the winter, either.”

Davis said that in order to surmount some of the challenges, he had to give up some cultural expectations surrounding farming — including owning his own land. Right now, he is leasing land.

But he’s welcomed other challenges, like lack of production knowledge.

“There are a lot of problem-solving aspects,” he said. “It’s brought together a lot of different interests in terms of skills, and required a better understanding of what’s going on in the world around me.”


Dedicated to the Production andAdvancement of Vermont Cheese

Printable Vermont Cheese Trail Map

Complete Listing of Cheese Council Members

Guide to Vermont Cheese, searchable by

Farm, Variety, Type of Milk, and Name

Links to Vermont Cheese Classes & Events

Guide to Retailers featuring Vermont Cheese

Recipes featuring Vermont Cheese

www.vtcheese.com

Farm Shares AvailableEugenie Doyle & Sam Burr

Tyler Bridge Road, MonktonMail: 2246 Tyler Bridge Road, Bristol, VT 05443

802-453-2847 - [email protected]

SENTINEL PINE ORCHARD832 WITHERELL ROAD,SHOREHAM VERMONT

802-897-7931Home of some of the

Finest Macs in the County!

We ship apples throughout the country.We offer small group tours, awesome

Fund-raising opportunities andconsulting services on pruning and spraying.

Mention this ad and receive$1.00 off Utility Apples & $2.00 off Packed Fruit!

VISIT US ON THE WEB ATwww.sentinelpineorchard.com


We grow the corn that… Feeds the cows that… Makes the milk that…

We bottle Fresh for you Everyday!

Local Milk at its Best

MONUMENT FARMS DAIRY2107 JAMES ROAD, WEYBRIDGE • 545-2119


For your organic bag and bulk feed needs call

Green Mountain Feedsin Bethel, Vermont

802-234-6278

For your conventionalbag or bulk

feed needs callDepot Farm Supply

in Leicester Junction, Vermont802-247-6700

We are proud to supportthe Addison County Relocalization Network.


Addison County Farm Bureau supports local food and

farms by providing member benefits including Nationwide

Agribusiness Insurance to Dodge Truck Discounts

and a voice in the Vermont Legislature.

To Join Us, call 802-434-5646

Sunday, September 18, 2011Shoreham, VT


Did you know:• 75% of public schools in Addison County, 15

schools in total, have gardens.• 15 Addison County schools purchase

vegetables locally. • Girl Scouts, Future Farmers of America

(FFA), the Middlebury Natural Foods Coop, and Master Gardeners are all working to bring local foods into schools in Addison County.

These facts all sprout from the Addison County Relocalization Network’s Farm to School survey, conducted online late last year in preparation for the second-annual Stone Soup summit on April 5 at Middlebury Union High School. Last year, Stone Soup brought together over 100 people to discuss bringing Farm to School activities into their school districts.

“Farm to School” refers to the nationwide movement to connect classrooms and cafeterias with local food and agriculture. The goal is to improve school nutrition and foster students’ abilities to make informed, healthy, and environmentally-conscious food choices. Vermont is a Farm to School leader, and Addison County’s healthy localvore culture places us right in the sweet spot of the movement.

With the Stone Soup survey, ACORN aimed to take a snapshot of Farm to School programming in the county in order to identify major successes so far, as well as the areas that need support. The organization called on principals, foodservice directors, teachers, and community volunteers to answer questions in six categories: Gardens, Compost, Education, Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Farm to School Organization, and Looking Ahead.

All twenty public schools in the county’s three school districts and the Hannaford Career Center participated in our survey. Asked to share specific triumphs and successes of their Farm to School programs, respondents were

enthusiastic. At Vergennes Elementary: “The school garden

really hits it home for the kids and connects local a bit closer still to their own lives.”

At Cornwall: “We’ve tried so many new things with our taste tests and have had great success in having the kids at least try bites of the new items.”

And at Middlebury High School: “We have just started but have put in ten 3x12 foot raised garden beds. We have also purchased a 30x50 foot greenhouse that we will install this spring.”

The final question asked respondents to rate the top four areas in which the school could most use help taking Farm to School to the next level. The top four issues were: identifying new and/or sustainable funding options; expanding food and nutrition educational programming; getting kids to eat healthy foods; and building connections with farmers.

With 21 pages of survey results in hand, the Stone Soup steering committee—composed of members from all three districts—came up

with seven workshop topics for the 2011 Stone Soup summit. The topics will be: Building and Sustaining a Farm to School Coalition; Funding Farm to School Programs; Farm to School in the Elementary School Curriculum; Farm to School in the High School Curriculum; Keeping the Garden Growing

Strong in All Seasons; Composting at School; and Buying Locally for the Cafeteria. Leading each panel and discussion will be people from Addison County, plus a few from further afield in Vermont, who have had success with the issue at hand.

If you’re involved in or curious about Farm to School programming where you live, please come out to the Stone Soup summit! Hear about how others have overcome challenges you may be facing, ask questions, and network with your district over a tasty local meal.

Second annual Stone Soup conference to highlight county Farm to School efforts

By Hannah Mueller

Local VocabFarm to SchoolA movement that seeks

to connect classrooms and cafeterias with local food and agriculture.

Central to the movement is the idea that an awareness of food and where it comes from will help students to make informed, healthy food choices throughout their lives.

For more information, check out farmtoschool.org.

Don’t miss it!Stone Soup SummitGrowing Farm to School in Addison CountyApril 5, 20114:00-7:30 PMMiddlebury Union High School

Top, Monkton Central School second-graders sample local cheese, grapes and apples last September as part of the school’s push to incorporate more local foods into the classroom. Above, Vergennes Union Elementary School students plant seedlings in the school’s vegetable garden last June.



Composting completes the cycle — and teaches valuable lessonsBy Hannah Mueller

To most fifth graders, “dirt” and “soil” are two words for the same thing—and the brown stuff doesn’t inspire much enthusiasm. At Ferrisburgh Central School, though, “soil” means something precious. Students make their own soil over the course of the year by collecting waste and monitoring it outside in the school’s new composting structure. Composting is hardly a dull process: for students in kindergarten through sixth grade at FCS, it combines an element of hands-on fun with an understanding of environmental stewardship.

Ferrisburgh’s composting structure went up over the summer of 2010 with help and donations from parent volunteers, says Judy Elson, fifth-grade science teacher and coordinator of the project. All the school’s food waste—from classrooms, snacks, and the kitchen—now comes out to the facility to start its transition back into soil. That soil, in turn, will enrich the school garden, which provides fresh vegetables for the school lunch program.

“Doesn’t that look yummy?” asks fifth-grade student Alia on an afternoon this January, pointing to the onion skins on top of one of the blue plastic bins that the school uses to transport food scraps outside. A student answers, “For bacteria!”

Beatrice, another fifth-grader, says of composting, “I think it’s a good thing because we can get soil for our garden and we don’t have to throw food away.”

A classmate replies, “You can’t throw things away, remember? There is no ‘away.’”

On-site composting is a constant reminder that the school’s trash is not someone else’s problem. If composting is going to work at a school, says Elson, then teachers, staff, and students all have to take responsibility for their own garbage and for the new system as a whole.

“It’s teaching our kids how to deal with our waste,” says Elson. “It’s a cultural change, and cultural changes in our institutions don’t happen overnight.” Ferrisburgh has put in more than six years of work to arrive where they are now, with an eight-bin covered compost facility. Their system now serves as a model to other schools and institutions in the county.

The Highfields Center for Composting in Hardwick, VT, which supports organizations that want to start their own composting systems, advised Ferrisburgh in the planning stages. Highfields helped the school to develop what Elson calls their “recipe.” Speedy and healthy composting requires a precise combination of food waste with nitrogen and carbon sources.

At Ferrisburgh, these sources are mainly donated manure from Al and Karen Myers of Ferrisburgh, and wood shavings from David Delp of North Ferrisburgh. A long-term goal of Elson’s is to incorporate paper towel waste from the bathrooms into the compost as a new carbon source. That next step will take more organization and practice. “It’s one big science experiment, really, every day,” says Elson. “Our program is constantly evolving as we integrate students into the process and experiment with recipes and procedures.”Many hands

Volunteer participation makes large-scale composting possible; in particular,

parent volunteer Nick Patch took the lead on constructing the new facility. Student participation at all grade levels is also key in composting success. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students take turns during lunch periods to monitor their classmates as they divide trash from recyclables, and recyclables from compost. Many students helped to transfer a large manure donation in the fall. Kindergarten classes regularly carry the blue containers of food waste outside.

Students who help manage their own food waste get to see the full transition of food back into food.

“I really like how the students are involved in the cycle of composting, to seeding, to harvesting, to cooking the vegetables we get from our garden,” says Suzanne Wyckoff, director of the breakfast and lunch programs at FCS. “Then they get to reap the benefits by enjoying the nutritious meals here that they helped produce. I feel this gives them a sense of accomplishment,

which is what kids so need.” This year, Ferrisburgh’s garden has

recently expanded to 24 raised beds and two 25 by 25-foot field plots. Last year, Wyckoff incorporated carrots, tomatoes, salad greens, peppers, green beans, broccoli, celeriac, Swiss chard, squash, leeks and basil from the garden into school meals.

“It’s a way of life at the school for the students and staff,” says Wyckoff.

Since full-scale composting started, Ferrisburgh has reduced its solid waste removal by an average of 250 pounds per week. For the first

time this year, Ferrisburgh will be able to use their own compost in their own garden.

Before last year, the school sent food scraps off-site and did not receive compost. This spring, though, Elson hopes they will not have to purchase any compost for the garden. In February, one pile of compost already sat outside the facility, ready for

the garden in the spring, and two more stacks lie in the structure at different stages of decomposition.

It’s easy for a visitor to perceive the pride students take in their shared science experiment. One fifth-grader is especially proud of the unique bags that the cafeteria uses to hold food waste: “I don’t think a lot of schools have decomposable bags for their compost, so I think they should get them.”Spreading the word

Ferrisburgh students recently shared what they have learned about sustainability in the Farm to School video contest sponsored by VT FEED (Food Education Every Day). Their photostory, developed primarily by five fifth-grade students with writing teacher Amy Downing, won first place and a flip camera for the school. The FCS website hosts the video, for which the five students were honored in Montpelier on January 20.

On April 5, at the Stone Soup summit in Middlebury, Judy Elson and James McSweeney of the Highfields Center for Composting will share insights gleaned during this process at Ferrisburgh. Stone Soup participants will have the chance to gain a realistic view of the investment that a group needs to make before composting can become a reality — because, as fifth-grader Beatrice says, “You might not get a compost shed at first.”

Elson recommends that organizers get all parties on board with the project: custodial staff, kitchen team, school board, parents, teachers, and students. Do your research, she says, and visit other schools to learn what has worked for them. Student groups from Vergennes and Mt. Abraham Union High Schools and Thetford Elementary School have recently visited Ferrisburgh in preparation for their own composting journeys.

“Be patient. Take little steps,” Elson recommends. “It takes work to deal with our waste.”

On a February afternoon, teacher Judy Elson and her students deliver food scraps from the school kitchen out to the school’s new composting shed.


“You can’t throw things away, remember? There is no ‘away.’”

— Ferrisburgh Central School fifth grader


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A chance discovery

Sue Evans and Tom Cruk of Middlebury grow an unusual set of crops in unusual soil.

Marble Rose Farm, their 17-acre plot of sandy, high alkaline farmland, lends itself to excellent drainage and a diverse range of fruits and vegetables from asparagus to cantaloupes — not common in the predominantly clay soil of Addison County.

Sue met Tom on the back of a vegetable truck in Scotia, New York (WHEN), and the rest was history. The two former General Electric employees have a rich background in strawberry farming, and when they stumbled across the Vermont border from New York one evening in 1995, they came across a property ideally suited to growing the fruit.

While their staple goods are strawberries, asparagus, cantaloupe, watermelon, and sungold cherry tomatoes, though, they grow many other crops: black

raspberries, peas, garlic, onions, potatoes and radicchio, among others.

Marble Rose Farm follows two primary mantras:

1.) To provide customers with nutrient-dense, flavorful fruits and vegetables.

2.) To protect and enhance the natural environment of the farmland.

“We don’t like to spray,” said Evans. “When we run into pests, we diversify!”

So last year, when the Mexican bean beetle began devouring their beans, diversify they did. They dropped beans as a crop and instead added several others.

“My wife is the real plant propagator here,” said Tom with a chuckle. “She really is.”

Although Sue and Tom don’t run a CSA, they sell their produce at the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op and at their weekend farm stand open in the summer and autumn.

“We don’t like to spray. When we run into pests, we diversify.”

—Sue Evans

By Andrew Stein



As Carleton Yoder pours fresh milk into a cream separator at his Champlain Valley Creamery in the Kennedy Brothers Factory Marketplace in Vergennes, he is participating in a long tradition. Addison County dairy farmers delivered their milk to the same building 100 years ago, and their cheese and milk would make their way on the nearby railroad as far as New York City.

Yoder brought cheesemaking back to the site in 2003. Before that, he worked making hard cider for the American Hard Cider company in Middlebury, now called Green Mountain Beverage.

Just last year, his wife, Moira Cook, joined him at the Creamery. Cheesemaking, she said recently, “is about growing a small family business that’s sustainable and something we can be proud of.”

“We don’t subscribe to the ‘if you don’t grow, you die’ philosophy,” said Yoder. Producing a relatively small amount of cheese—between 300 and 400 pounds per week—allows them to have control over every aspect of the business. Yoder has already come a long way, considering that, as he puts it, “we started stripped-down capital-wise.”

Finding equipment was a creative process. Their cream separator is from 1952, and Yoder saved about $12,000 on

a cheese vat by substituting a commissary soup kettle with a welded top.

But when it comes to the ingredients, Yoder doesn’t skimp. Journey’s Hope Farm in Bridport provides all of the creamery’s organic milk.

“The whole product is from this county,” he said.

He choose to go organic for the point of difference from other creameries, and because he sees it as the healthier, more traditional way to farm and eat. The value of tradition shows in their signature product, Old Fashioned Cream Cheese—“not like Philly at all.”

Most of the Cream Cheese and their Triple Crown Cheese travels of out Vermont, but Champlain Valley Creamery products also make an appearance at the Starry Night Café in Ferrisburgh, Antidote in Vergennes, and other local restaurants.

Since 2003, Yoder said support for his business in Addison County has been “tremendous.” And he’s in good company — his business is among the many springing up to make use of dairy, the county’s primary agricultural offering.

“There’s something to be said for taking a raw agricultural product and turning it into something by the end of the day,” he said.

A small business flourishes

“We don’t subscribe to the ‘if you don’t grow, you die’ phi-losophy.”

— Carleton Yoder

Local roots, national distribution

The humble beginnings of Woodchuck Hard Cider trace back to 1990 in Proctorsville, Vermont with a bundle of Vermont apples, a ten ounce 1940’s soda bottling machine, a Gatorade bottle to top off the last two ounces, and a firm commitment to creating high quality cider.

Back then, few would have guessed that this little cider operation would one day grow to control 62 percent of the national hard cider market. Perhaps Bret Williams would have been one of those few — after jumping on board the Woodchuck team in 1996 as their first salesperson, he became President and CEO of Green Mountain Beverage (GMB) after he and a team of investors purchased the company in 2003.

Although Woodchuck’s rapid expansion has led GMB to source apples from other states, the company still espouses Vermont ingredients. “I don’t think that a lot of people realize that the quality of apples that come out of the state of Vermont are some of the best in the world,” said Williams.

GMB still sources apples from Shoreham’s Champlain Orchards and other Addison County orchards, and Williams said that 100 percent of Woodchuck’s ingredients come from within the U.S.

Here in Addison County, GMB plays an integral role: providing 75 jobs to the area, working with many local businesses, and even pitching in some volunteer hours. According to Williams, GMB was the first business to kick off the Vermont Pick

for your Neighbor Program. Under the program, half of GMB’s employees take the day off to pick several hundred pounds of apples at local orchards, and GMB pays the bill. The apples are donated to hungry Vermont families through the Vermont Foodbank.

So what’s next on Woodchuck’s agenda?New duds.Right now, the company is in the due

diligence process of purchasing a 120,000 square foot facility on Route 7. The new facility is twice the size of the company’s current base of operations, and it will come as a much needed expansion.

“We don’t have enough room for our juice…and the warehouse is jam packed,” said Williams

He hopes that the deal will close by the end of March 2011 and expects that outfitting the new facility will take one calendar year. GMB does not want to disrupt business, so the company’s current operations will stay online until the new facility is up and running.

The Route 7 location will give the company better visibility, and among its many new additions, GMB hopes to open a visitor center. The new facility’s ample space will provide GMB with many new opportunities to innovate and expand.

“It gives us the flexibility to have everything self-contained in one location,” said Williams. “A world class facility is our goal.”

At left, Green Mountain Beverage Marketing Director Bridget Blacklock stands in front of oak barrels used for aging Woodchuck Hard Cider. Right, two newly installed juice tanks tower against the winter sky.

Independent photos/Andrew Stein

“A world-class facility is our goal”— Bret Williams

By Andrew SteinBy Hannah Mueller

Happy fruitA batch of homegrown tomatoes basks in the sun last summer.

Photo courtesy Jessie Raymond


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Peter Stone grew up farming alongside his parents, Paul and Frances Stone. In 1976, when Peter was 11, the family set down roots in Orwell on a 600-acre dairy farm that they founded.

By 1989, the family had shifted the farm from dairy to turkey production, attempting to address a shortage of poultry production in the state. Today, Peter owns the family business, and the 1,000 acre Stonewood Farm has become Vermont’s largest turkey producer. In a typical year, the farm grows, slaughters and processes about 27,000 turkeys per year.

Thoughout May, June and July, the farm purchases day-old chicks from a hatchery in Canada. By staggering the turkeys’ ages, the farm can sell multiple sizes of Thanksgiving birds come November.

The turkeys roam and grow in large, fenced, open-air barns until the end of October, when slaughtering begins. “We freeze (the first ones) to make ground turkey for turkey sausage,” Stone explained.

Then, he said, “the week before Thanksgiving, the turkeys are all slaughtered, except for some for Christmas.”

After the holiday rush, the farm prepares for the next season and focuses on sausage production, which proceeds year-round.

As Stone sees it, Stonewood Farm has reached a kind of equilibrium.

“There’s a demand for (our products),” he said, “but at the same time we don’t want to be too big.”

Since Thanksgiving turkeys must be slaughtered within a short timeframe before the holidays, Stonewood’s on-site processing plant already runs near capacity in its busiest few weeks. Recent high grain prices have also led Stone to keep business stable rather than chart expansion.

“I was always involved in the farm,” said Stone.

Despite his heavy involvement in the family business, though, Stone left the farm at one point to work in construction. Soon, however, he returned to the farm for good, to eventually take over the business from his parents.

“My work and my life are pretty close together,” he said.

Indeed, he lives on the farm with his wife and the third generation of Stones.

“I have an eight-year-old, a four-year-old and a nine-month old,” he said.

At this age, of course, it is anybody’s guess whether any of the youngest generation will someday take up management of the family farm.

“Some days they’re thinking of it,” says Stone. “They’re thinking of a lot of things at that age.”

All in the familyBy J.P. Allen

At right, Stonewood Farms employees gather on the property.Photo courtesy Stonewood Farms


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Documents

Addison County Guide to Local Food and Farms 2011