Saturday, May 29, 2010

Chandler Pond Farm





This week we are pleased to feature radishes, beet greens, lettuce, chicken, and eggs from Chandler Pond Farm of South Wheelock, Vermont. Chef Casey Graham will use locally-grown organic Chandler Pond Farm products in main dishes, appetizers, soups, and salads.


On a glorious Wednesday morning in late May, Chandler Pond Farm in South Wheelock is gearing up for what looks to be a great summer season. Orderly rows of radishes and assorted greens bask in the spring sunshine, and Rob and Tamara Martin direct their summer interns in a variety of projects. It’s their third year as organic farmers in the Northeast Kingdom, and they have big plans in the works - new blueberry and asparagus patches overlook the pond, the farm stand is almost ready, and expectant Devon cows are due to calve any day.

The Martins lease 200 acres in South Wheelock and have about five acres in crop rotation, producing tomatoes, strawberries, sweet corn and a variety of other vegetables. They also raise one thousand chickens for meat each year, have a small flock of laying hens, several pigs, and a small herd of Devon and Jersey cows from which they get raw milk and meat. They plan to make maple syrup in the spring and they host visitors for oxen rides and tours of the farm.

It’s a huge amount of work for the Martins, who have three children under five years old, even with the help of their four farm interns and a retired neighbor, but there is no doubt it is a labor of love. “With all the things we do, Rob says sometimes he feels like the conductor of an orchestra,” Tamara says. They are certainly making beautiful music. The farm is orderly, productive and serene. A walk up the road to the property’s second farmhouse reveals a lovely view of Chandler Pond, where the family and their helpers enjoy canoeing, fishing and swimming. Their days are filled with hard work and the enjoyment of good food, family, and the natural splendor of the Northeast Kingdom.

Rob Martin is a fifth generation Vermont farmer from Bradford, Vermont. An avid sailor, Rob met Tamara in her hometown of Cordova, Alaska, famous for its salmon fishing, where he was stationed as a member of the Coast Guard. After a wonderful year of sailing around the Bahamas together and four years working on an organic farm in southern Vermont, Rob and Tamara settled their family in the Northeast Kingdom and began making their dream of building an organic family farm together a reality.

Tamara says that growing up she knew a lot about salmon and not a thing about farming, but she has taken to it like a fish to water. She is excited about the future of small-scale organic agriculture and local food systems, and she sees great potential in Vermont for the production of staple crops as well as specialty food items. As a mother of three, the well-being of her children drives her commitment to farming. “The more I learn about the food system,” she says, “the more I’m convinced that small-scale agriculture is necessary. A big reason we decided to farm and do so in a sustainable and chemical-free way was for the health of our children. I want my kids to be able to eat the dirt – and they do!”

They love visitors at Chandler Pond Farm and host several public events throughout the year, including an Open Farm evening on Wednesday June 16th from 3-6pm, a Farm Play Group for kids of all ages on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 10am to noon during June through August, and a Harvest Potluck on Saturday, October 9th at 3pm. Starting this June, CSA shareholders will be able to pick up their shares from the farm stand for around $18 a week, $345 for the entire season. The Chandler Pond Farm website, www.chandlerpondfarm.com, keeps customers updated on what’s happening at the farm and has several links to organizations that promote sustainable farming practices.

This spring, the Martins are enjoying eating their greens and radishes in salads – “It’s salad season!” beams Tamara – and also in some unconventional ways: cut into slices, Tamara lightly fries or roasts radishes in peanut or olive oil and sprinkles them with soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Mmm, simple, fresh, delicious. That’s how to eat like a local.

Monday, May 24, 2010

The Northeast Kingdom Farm to Table Project




Throughout the coming summer and fall, Juniper’s Restaurant at the Wildflower Inn will feature a weekly farm-to-table dinner special made from ingredients produced here in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The restaurant will partner with local farms to promote the use of locally raised, hormone, pesticide and chemical-free produce, meat, and dairy products in our restaurant and by the Northeast Kingdom community. A different ingredient and farm will be promoted each week in the restaurant and on our new website (www.junipersrestaurant.com). Chef Casey Graham will use the ingredient in his main dishes, appetizers, soups, and salads.

The Wildflower Inn and Juniper’s Restaurant are owned and operated by Jim and Mary O’Reilly. The couple raised eight children on the inn property and have long recognized the benefits of providing healthy, locally produced food to their family. It is only natural that they have the same cares and concerns for the food they serve the guests of their inn and restaurant. “We feel that what is not in our food is just as important as what is in it,” Mary notes. Juniper’s Restaurant currently features all natural beef (some from right here on Darling Hill Road at Meadow View Farm), chicken, and pork, farm fresh ingredients, an extensive wine list including Vermont-made and organic wines, and a great selection of Vermont-brewed beers.


The staff of Juniper’s Restaurant at the Wildflower Inn is excited to have the opportunity to raise awareness of responsible agricultural practices and support our local food economy. We invite you to come on in and find out what it means to eat like a local!

www.junipersrestaurant.blogspot.com