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Feast of the Fields
- Participating Farms
 3-Corner
Field Farm
Since the 1850’s, the land, house and farm buildings comprising
3-Corner Field Farm have been part of the agricultural community
of Shushan (Washington County). Paul Borghard, Karen Weinberg and
daughters Emily and Zoe are the third family to make their living
dairying on the rolling pastures and fields that overlook the Vermont
border. However, unlike the previous farms, the dairy animals on
3-Corner Field Farm are sheep -- not cows. The farm is one of only
four sheep dairies currently operating in New York State.
In order to steward the land responsibly so that it will be viable
for other families to farm in the future, Paul and Karen have returned
to the traditional farming methods used by the previous farmers:
pastured animals, organically-managed fields, and low-input farming
techniques. These sustainable farming techniques result in healthier,
tastier food, a better lifestyle for their livestock, and help keep
the land free of damage from pesticides, herbicides or the application
of excessive amounts of fertilizer. Most importantly, the flock
of milking ewes and their lambs are given a natural existence --
living outdoors, grazing, and following the seasonal cycles to which
they are best adapted.
In their fifth year of operation, 3-Corner Field Farm has reached
their goal of establishing a licensed cheesemaking facility that
uses their own sheep’s milk in the production of traditionally-made
yogurt, and fresh and aged sheep’s cheeses from grass fed
animals. In addition to caring for their milking flock, they raise
all of the flock’s lambs on over 100 acres of pasture. In
keeping with the “old fashioned” agricultural value
of producing value from every facet of the farm, their versatile
flock also yields wool, washable sheepskins, sheep’s milk
soaps, and naturally composted manure.
The sheep’s milk yogurt and cheeses, and pasture-raised lamb
from 3-Corner Field Farm are sold year-round at the farm and over
their website, and at the NYC Greenmarket at Union Square on Wednesdays
and Saturdays from September to March. Visitors are always welcome
to the farm: call first to ensure that someone will be available
to show you around.
 Elihu
Farm
Our farming began in summer 1986 with two lambs to raise for food.
That fall, ten bred ewes arrived, and their 19 lambs the following
spring. Soon, we decided to specialize in purebred Romney sheep
and natural colored crossbreds, which produce delicious meat and
excellent fleeces. The farm has evolved from 43 acres to 150, and
from a part-time operation, to a full-time since 1999. Now, about
150 adult ewes and about 30 goat does make up our flock. And we
added a flock of hens for pasture raised eggs in 2004.
Our flock of sheep and small band of meat goats depend primarily
on pasture and forage (hay, or baleage -- round-baled fermented
hay), with whole grain supplements as needed. Some years, we can
pasture the sheep flock on hayfield regrowth right into January.
After the grazing season ends, we feed the livestock outdoors as
much as practical. Ewes that will be lambing in the winter months
do so inside the barn; those lambing in April or May usually give
birth right on the pastures.
We’d always enjoyed good lamb -- be it legs, chops, stew,
ground, or sausage. The desire for fresh, flavorful, naturally raised
lamb was one of the reasons we decided to grow our own. The results
have been superb, and repeat customers attest to the quality of
our lamb.
Today we have customers throughout the Capital District and Hudson
Valley, including several fine-dining restaurants, and individuals
for freezer lambs or for holidays. We participate in the Farm to
Chef, a local program which markets all farm products to restaurants
in New York City. We supply many Islamic people originally from
the Middle East or Africa with lambs for celebrations.
Sales of sheep fleeces and breeding stock also contribute to our
farm income. Both have garnered awards at local, regional, and national
events. The advent of the Internet has contributed greatly to our
ability to market fleeces to hand spinners all over the United States.
We’re committed to agriculture in Washington County, and
100 years from now our fields and pastures should look much the
same as they do today. We’ve permanently given away the right
o build houses on about 100 acres of our land, to Washington County’s
local land trust, the Agricultural Stewardship Association. Within
that parcel, the peaceful marsh has an extra layer of protection
because it is now part of the Federal Wetlands Reserve.
Our farm and barns are always open to visitors, by chance or by
appointment. We look forward to meeting our customers, and their
friends and families.
 Flying
Pigs Farm
www.flyingpigsfarm.com
Jennifer Small and Michael Yezzi purchased their 150-acre farm from
a developer to prevent it from being carved into house lots. They
worked to rehabilitate the early 19th century farm house, and then
turned their attention to their hilly land along the Batten Kill.
They recognized that the land would have to help them provide some
sort of income in order for it to be preserved.
Because of their interest in agricultural history, they chose to
raise rare, heritage breeds of pigs facing extinction because corporate
hog producers considered these breeds obsolete.
The unusually moist, rich pork from Flying Pigs Farm found a ready
and appreciative customer base in New York City’s restaurants
and Greenmarkets. In 2005, Flying Pigs Farm will produce 250 pigs,
along with several hundred chickens, 150 laying hens, and 40 sheep,
a dramatic increase in production from the 3 pigs raised in 2000.
Supportive customers have allowed this parcel in Washington County
to continue in agriculture.
 Gardenworks
www.gardenworksfarm.com
Sweet fresh raspberries have been a favorite fall crop for twenty
years at Gardenworks Farm in Salem’s Black Creek Valley. Our
farm is a four season country destination featuring diverse specialty
horticultural crops starting in early spring with robust annuals,
perennials and herbs grown in a new greenhouse. Then the summer
sun ripens our four acres of delectable blueberries, both U-pick
and we pick. Farm fresh garden bouquets, tomatoes and sweet corn
make summer entertaining easy. As fall approaches the Gardenworks
raspberry fields are swarming with eager harvesters and the barn
is brimming with farm grown dried flowers, pumpkins, gourds, mums
and Indian corn. The holiday season is a favorite time to visit
the renovated dairy barn to watch our full, fragrant evergreen wreaths
being tied with long lasting fraser and douglas fir. Garlands, farm
grown trees and trimmings set the festive mood for the holidays.
The Gardenworks Barn offers a collection of beautiful floral designs,
decorative accessories, quality local handcrafts and many specialty
foods every season. Farm tours and workshops are easily arranged
for groups. It is our pleasure to offer our farm crops for your
enjoyment.
Gardenworks is a third generation family farm located on County
Route 30, 5 miles from the traffic light in the village of Salem.
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 to 5 and Sundays 1 to
5.
Gem Farms Buffalo
www.gemfarmsbuffalo.com
Fritz Mesick and his two brothers left southern Germany and settled
in Columbia County, New York. In 1793, Fritz and his family moved
to South Schodack purchasing land from the Rensselaer Patroon System
which is today a small part of Gem Farms’ 800 acres.
Our introduction to buffalo was in 1939 when George’s father
took him to Hoosick Falls, New York to see the only herd of buffalo
in the area. George was impressed with the size of the animals and
by the serenity of the herd -- not acting at all like the wild herds
in history books.
Many years later in 1973, after our marriage, and when our five
children were nearly grown, we purchased a young bull, a cow and
a calf. The animals were delivered in 1974. After a series of escapades
when the bull and cow managed to jump a five-foot fence, (an event
our neighbors still like to talk about) life has become more interesting.
Because of our active association with the National Bison Association,
the Eastern Bison Association, and Pennsylvania Bison Association,
we know considerably more these days and are constantly learning
about these wonderful animals.
We are in partnership with our sons David and Jim in the dairy
business on this family farm that has seen eight generations of
farming, however we (George and Gerry) as owners of Gem Farms Buffalo,
travel to buffalo conventions to meet with all the friends they
have made throughout the country.
Buffalo on the Mesick farm come from as far away as Nebraska while
others are purchased in New York, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. It’s
important to the Mesicks to keep different bloodlines in the herd
of over 200 animals.
Gillis Acres Farm
We are a small family-run dairy goat farm located in Southern Washington
County.
We have been breeding, raising and milking Alpine dairy goats since
1994, and making cheese for our own use. In 2004 we achieved a long-awaited
dream. My husband and I completed the addition on our 19th century
barn that houses our milkroom and processing room. We did all the
work ourselves over 1 1/2 years. This now allowed us to produce
our products for resale.
We have a small herd of goats that are lovingly cared for. They
are all identified by names not numbers. We produce our own hay
from fields that are not treated with any herbicides or pesticides.
We do not use any antibiotics or hormones. All our products are
produced on our farm using only our milk.
Gillis Acres Farm currently produces chevre (plain, garlic, and
herb), queso blanco (plain, garlic and herb), feta, and yogurt.
Other products occasionally available (or by request) include ricotta,
mozzarella, pasteurized milk, butter, cream and aged cheese.
Homestead Artisans
We started making cheese just for fun a few years ago, buying the
milk from local dairymen. When we found out how delicious the results
were and how different from store-bought cheese, we started to consider
making them for sale. We built a cheese room, while spending almost
a year satisfying the extensive requirements of the New York State
Department of Agriculture and Markets, which regulates the manufacture
and sales of dairy goods.
And so, we began making an array of fresh and aged cheeses and
selling them at the Farmers’ Market in Saratoga. We found
out that the local market for our cheeses is strong, and began thinking
about buying a farm so we can have our own animals, to give us more
control over their care and feeding.
We are in the process of buying an old farm in Argyle where we
can have our own goats and cows to produce cheese and other dairy
products based on intensive grazing. We are working to develop a
sustainable, organic dairy so we can provide delicious organic cheeses
to our customers, while sustaining and improving our piece of land.
Bringing this to fruition is our small, personal response to the
serious and interlocked problems of agribusiness, long-distance
transportation of food, pesticide and fertilizer use, the treatment
of animals in agribusiness, and other unsustainable and anti-spiritual
aspects of food production, as well as rampant development and loss
of farmland both locally and globally.
Little Field Farm
In the year 2000 a long-time dream was realized. It initially presented
itself as a flower farm. Over the last five years our farm has developed
into a venue for field and greenhouse specialties. Now we’re
in the process of constructing our second hydroponic greenhouse.
This will use state-of-the-art technologies to create an environment
ideal for cultivating gourmet greens year-round. Our methodology
couples the latest in technology with environmentally sound practices
resulting in products of an unrivaled quality.
We pride ourselves on establishing ongoing personal relationships
with an appreciative clientele. A key role in our development has
been our interaction with chefs. Through our dialogue we have come
to develop personalized relationships ultimately resulting in new
and exciting products. We would just like to thank all of our customers
who have allowed us to live the dream.
 New
Minglewood Farm
New Minglewood Farm, located near the village of Greenwich in
Washington County, was started in 1999 by proprietors Chris Lincoln
and Tammara Van Ryn. The produce at New Minglewood is certified
organic through NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC. The farm has been
certified organic since the federal rules for organic foods were
put into effect in 2002.
Chris and Tammara both attended the New York State School of Environmental
Science and Forestry in the early 1980’s. They lived in New
Hampshire for many years while Chris practiced forestry for a private
consulting firm and Tammara worked first in the forest industry
and then land conservation. They often talked about farming, and
when they moved back to New York in 1997 for Tammara to work for
the Land Trust Alliance (where she still works), Chris apprenticed
at Pleasant Valley Farm and the two started looking for land.
They purchased their 38 acres in Greenwich in 1999 and started
selling at the Farmers’ Market in Saratoga Springs that summer.
They are a regular vendor at both the Wednesday and Saturday Farmers’
Market in Saratoga and their produce is featured at several restaurants
in Saratoga, as well. They specialize in a variety of salad and
cooking greens and sprouts. From July through October, New Minglewood
Farm offers a bounty of more than a dozen types of yellow, green,
“black”, orange, and red heirloom tomatoes.
Sheldon Farms
Located in Salem, Washington County, New York, Sheldon Farms is
an authentic multi-generation farm with a special emphasis on potatoes,
sweet corn and market vegetables including peas, green beans, cucumbers,
and peppers.
Albert Sheldon, 54, grew his first crop of sweet corn at age 10.
The family tradition of growing New York State potatoes goes back
much further: his parents, grandparents on both sides, and earlier
generations were successful farmers and seedsmen who grew potatoes
for market first in Hebron, New York, and later in Salem. It is
likely that his Sheldon forebears planted potatoes when they moved
to Rupert, Vermont from Deerfield before the Revolutionary War.
On his maternal side, his farming roots go equally farther back,
in the Castleton/Middletown Springs area of Vermont, west of Rutland.
The farm’s heritage is considerable, even by Washington County
standards.
At Sheldon Farms, the emphasis above all is on flavor. Personal
attention, constant scouting and early picking -- by hand -- produce
vegetables that are fresh and flavorful, with the green beans tender
and small, and corn that is widely-known for its crispness and taste.
Marketing is retail at the farm’s market on Route 22 (now
in its fifth year), via the Farm to Chef Express program, and during
the summer at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Potatoes and sweet
corn are also wholesaled through several distributors in New York
and Vermont.
Encompassing 600 acres with rich, mineral-laden fields and woodlands
along the Batten Kill and White Creek valleys, Sheldon Farms is
a prime example of an IPM farm, working with Cornell on research
and using a carefully monitored system of crop rotation and variety
selection.
Willow Wood Farm
We purchased a 30-acre farm in the summer of 1998. The farm, once
a very active dairy farm, had been fallow for many years. Bill had
planned to retire in 2000, and we knew we wanted an active lifestyle
in retirement. We felt that a small farm would satisfy this as well
as generate some income. Bill has a background in finance and Judy
in human resources management. While neither of us has a background
in commercial farming, Bill did have experience in livestock production
(sheep, pigs, chicken, beekeeping) and large vegetable gardens.
In the fall of 1998 at the “Through Women’s Hands”
dinner sponsored by the Regional Farm and Food Project, we met several
families who were operating small farms. >From being both informed
and inspired by them, we began raising all-natural pastured chicken,
vegetables, and flowers on a small commercial scale in the spring
of 1999. We began selling our vegetables and flowers at the Troy
Waterfront Farmers’ market and the Wednesday Saratoga Springs
Farmers’ Market. We developed a newsletter and mailing list
for our poultry and sold them at the farm.
In 2000 we began to diversify. Our chicken was very popular so
we raised more and added Thanksgiving turkeys to the mix. Then in
2003 we raised 3 pigs -- kept one for ourselves and sold the other
two. The pigs were a big hit, too. In 2004 we raised 15 and easily
sold them. Now pigs are a staple along with the chickens and turkeys.
With the increased popularity of our all-natural meats, we decided
to leave the farmers’ markets and concentrate on those products.
As a step to improve our pastures and make our farm sustainable,
we are raising a few grass-fed beef this year.
We are committed to being a small sustainable farm where vegetables,
flowers and livestock are raised naturally, humanely, and sustainably.
We continue to work toward making sure we put more into the land
than we harvest from it. We have some way to go to have the esthetically
attractive place we would like it to be, but we do feel that it
is a welcoming place that helps connect people to the land and their
food source. We continue to struggle with the avocation/vocation
mix. We find the farm demanding more and more input of time and
capital
giving us less time for leisure and renewal. Economic sustainability
is a yet unrealized goal.
There is much talk about preserving farm land. However, farms are
not self-sufficient islands. Finding local suppliers who can meet
our needs is not easy. Most agriservice providers are geared toward
the large-scale, commodity based farm. And support through the cooperative
extension is generally based on “conventional” methods
of operation such as use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides.
Soil tests for example, come back with chemical fertilizer rates
of application which have no meaning for the organic grower. Many
items must be ordered from out of state suppliers. The shipping
adds significant amounts to our costs of doing business.
Willow Wood Farm Mission Statement
* To produce as a small, sustainable farm, products that are raised
naturally without synthetic/chemical pesticides or fertilizers to
provide the highest level of quality and nutrition.
*All animals will be raised in a way that is natural, humane, and
considerate to the land and our neighbors.
*Our farm will be a blend of avocation and vocation -- a six-month
operation so that there will be time for spiritual and physical
renewal, leisure time, and travel.
*As earth keepers, our farm practices will result in an overall
improvement to the land and to the overall environment.
*The farm will be esthetically pleasing and a welcoming place where
people can visit, share, learn, and enjoy. The farm will connect
people with where their food comes from and emphasize the importance
of environmental stewardship.
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