Vermont's Local Banquet Magazine Summer 16 by Vermont's Local Banquet Magazine

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local banquet summer 2016 | issue thirty-seven

Butter • Crickets • POP Clubs

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issue thirty-seven

4 Publishers’ Note 6 Grow Where You Work 8 Set the Table with…Crickets 10 Pigs and Whey: “It just makes sense.” 12 WWOOFing in Vermont 14 Unexpected Treasures John Miller and The Old Schoolhouse Plantery

16 Spreading Joy There’s a bounty of new butter makers in Vermont

18 POP Clubs and the Power of Produce 27 Farmers’ Kitchen 29 Calendar 30 Last Morsel Gilfeather turnip becomes the State vegetable

Publishers’ Note Vermont has a long history of leading the nation in enacting principled laws aimed at promoting the common good. One of the many purposes of crafting laws is to establish the rules needed for a society to live and work together— and that includes farming together. We’d like to bring you up to date on four such legislative initiatives affecting our food here in the state. Farm to Plate: This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Farm to Plate Initiative, a “statewide food system plan to strengthen the working landscape, improve the profitability of farms and food enterprises, maintain environmental resilience, and increase local food access for all Vermonters.” Passed back in 2009, the resulting strategic plan laid out 25 goals to be reached by 2020. We can report, according to recently released data, that there have been impressive increases in the areas of agricultural sales, direct sales from farms to consumers, women farmers, and value-added food manufacturing, just to name a few. And of particular note, outpacing the plan’s goal of 1,700 jobs by 2020, Vermont has added approximately 5,300 in just the past five years. Regenerative certification: Would you like to know that your CSA farm not only offers sustainable food but is also creating a positive impact on the local environment, wildlife, climate change, and the community? The state legislature, along with numerous stakeholders, is exploring ways to increase and reward regenerative agricultural practices that not only build healthy soils and produce nutrient-dense food but also reduce carbon emissions in the environment and, by extension, support the health of our communities and economies. Senate Bill 159, which sought to create a regenerative agriculture certification program, failed to make it out of committee for this legislative session. However, discussion is already underway in and outside the statehouse to introduce improved legislation next year, and grassroots efforts will be needed for its support. State vegetable: It’s oﬃcial! The Gilfeather turnip is now Vermont’s state vegetable (see page 30). GMO labeling: And finally, if all goes well, Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120, requiring food containing genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled) is poised to go into effect on July 1. It’s been a long and bumpy road through the statehouse. Along the way the law has come under attack in the form of lawsuits from the GMO industry and threats from industry lobbyists and politicians in the U.S. House and Senate who fear that Vermont’s law, if not stifled, will open up the floodgates nationally for more states to enact similar right-to-know legislation. As of this writing, the law has already been responsible for the move by several large food manufacturers to change their labels to include the GMO language defined by Vermont. It requires many hardworking and forward-thinking individuals and organizations to envision, craft, and then champion meaningful laws that benefit our state’s agricultural well being and sustainable future. Along with good soil, thoughtful agricultural practices, and informed consumers, these measures make Vermont a richer place to live. We are thankful to all those involved in these endeavors. Meg Lucas Barbi Schreiber

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Editor Caroline Abels Art Director Meg Lucas Ad Director Barbi Schreiber Proofreader Marisa Crumb Contributors Paul Betz Caitlin Gildrien Pamela Hunt Charlie Nardozzi Amber Newman Suzanne Podhaizer Tatiana Schreiber Carol Stedman Printed with soy ink on FSC certiﬁed 50% recycled chlorine–free paper Subscriptions, $22 Subscribe online or send checks to: Vermont’s Local Banquet PO Box 69 Saxtons River, VT 05154 localbanquet.com 802-869-1236 we welcome letters to the editor info@localbanquet.com vermont’s LOCAL Banquet Mission Statement The purpose of our publication is to promote and support our local communities. By focusing on fresh, local, wholesome foods grown and made in Vermont, we preserve our environment, grow our economy, and enhance our nutrition. Vermont’s Local Banquet (ISSN 1946–0295) is published quarterly. Subscriptions are $22 annually and are mailed in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Please make checks payable to Vermont’s Local Banquet. Thank you. Copyright (c) 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers or editors.

On the cover: Ryan Demarest of Naked Acre Farm in Waterbury Center; selfie by Ryan Demarest. Contents page: Cut flowers. ready for sale at Singing River Farm, Rockingham; photo by Amber Newman.

Publisher Schreiber & Lucas, LLC

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garden pathways Grow Where You Work by Charlie Nardozzi

Anyone who gardens—and there are lots of us in Vermont— knows that gardening provides exercise, fresh air, stress reduction, healthy food, and quietude. Unfortunately, though, too many of us have little time, or space, to garden where we live. We spend more time at work than at home. With busy family lives, adding gardening to the “to do” list can feel overwhelming. That’s where employee gardens come in. Across the country, employees are realizing the benefits of gardening where they work. And as company wellness programs proliferate, employers are looking for creative ways to engage their staff. It’s not just altruistic. Stress and absenteeism due to sick days translate into lost employee hours that impact the bottom line. Research has shown that more than 1 million employees miss work each day in the U.S., resulting in $225 billion in losses annually. Companies have found that creating wellness programs is money well spent. While offering exercise classes and healthy cafeteria/vending machine options usually tops the list of wellness activities, interest in gardening is growing. And why not? Gardeners tend to be healthier people. The University of Colorado, Denver found that 20 minutes a day in the garden leads to better physical and mental health. So it’s no surprise that major corporations such as Toyota, Google, Boston Scientific, Aveda, and Pepsi have created employee gardens at their sites. In Vermont, employers such as Burton Snowboards, National Life, Gardener’s Supply Company, and Vermont Teddy Bear Factory offer employees the opportunity to garden. Employers have also found that gardens are a great equalizer. No matter what the employee’s role or title, everyone plants, weeds, waters, and harvests together. It’s a way for staff who normally would not interact during the workday to get to know each other.

Gardener’s Supply Company and technical assistance from the Vermont Community Garden Network and myself. In 2016, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont provided more grant money to expand the program. To date, 26 employers in the state have started Green Thumbs at Work gardens. Here are stories from some beneficiaries of the Green Thumbs at Work Program:

Vermont Employee Gardens

“We wanted people to have a reason to get away from their desks and enjoy the sunshine. We also wanted people to bond across teams, as we often only work with our own small group of teammates. It was a huge success on both counts! I think it was the camaraderie it brought, even to those on staff who did not participate in tending the garden.”

While employee gardens at big companies are gaining in popularity, there are many small employers in Vermont that can’t afford to start a garden program. Three years ago the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Community Garden Network, Gardener’s Supply Company, and myself started working together to create a way for small employers (50 employees or less) to initiate a garden at their worksite. The Green Thumbs at Work Program offers cash grants to companies and nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. The grants must be matched by the employer. Grantees also receive a gift certificate from

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Trudell Consulting Engineers – Williston

“Having a garden at our worksite has increased employees’ sense of community.” Trudell has a wellness team and tried an employee garden before, but didn’t have good participation. So, with better support, they started anew. The garden is now a success because everyone, even non-gardeners, are invited to benefit from the garden activities. For example, there are now Salad Fridays, when staff eat lunch in the garden. Not only do garden team members come and enjoy the produce grown, but all staff are invited to bring veggies from their home gardens to eat.

Open Tempo – Williston

This software company has a unique take on garden maintenance. Many times summer garden care ends up falling on the shoulders of only a few people. To avoid this, we often recommend that staff work in teams that have certain weeks to be in charge of the beds. Open Tempo used their own expertise to create a software program that showed staff what garden tasks

had to be done when, and how to do them, and assigned people throughout the summer.

Mad River Ambulance – Waitsﬁeld

Best Practices Over these three years we’ve found some keys to a successful employee garden: Grassroots works best. Make sure you have the interest of a solid group of employees and engage them from the start in decision making. Get the backing of management and landowner before you start. Understand any limitations with the land and employees’ time.

“Having a garden at our worksite increased our ability to work together as a team.” Mad River Ambulance has 60 volunteers working all hours of the day and night. Their challenge is how to communicate with each other about who’s in charge of the garden when, and what needs to be done. Their solution was to post a schedule, with duties, on a white board by the oﬃce entrance. They paired experienced and inexperienced gardeners for one- or two-week intervals. New gardeners got to learn gardening skills from experienced ones and started new friendships.

Northeast Kingdom Community Action – Barton

Create a wellness/garden team with clear lines of communication, decision-making processes, and policies. Start small and build your garden team as you grow your garden. Refer back to your wellness mission. Use the mission as a touchstone when deciding about plot-based or communal gardens, work days, and what to do with the produce grown. Celebrate! Group lunches in the garden, sharing produce with other staff, and reaching out to the greater community are all ways to celebrate the success of growing a garden together. —Charlie Nardozzi

PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NARDOZZI

“Planning is important; allowing time for the employees to work in the garden; start small; grow what you like to eat; try one or two new things.” This nonprofit has a small but tight-knit staff. The garden became an extension of their oﬃce. One of the biggest issues they faced was rabbits and woodchucks. Their solution was to go online and find an elevated garden-bed design. They built a 3-foot-tall raised bed garden that not only kept out the animals, but made gardening easier for those with physical limitations.

TJ Molding – St. Johnsbury “The biggest success of the summer was having fresh veggies that the employees could use at lunch during the day or take some home.” This small manufacturing firm had a unique challenge. The best location to garden was a paved area that needed to stay open

for snow removal in winter. They decided to create a portable container garden consisting of cut-in-half, food-grade barrels and wooden raised beds. In the fall, they use the shop forklift to move the barrels and beds off site. It’s been inspiring for me to watch the enthusiasm for gardening at more and more worksites across the state. Not only are the gardens a source of fresh, healthy produce in summer, they also become a focal point and topic of conversation for employees, and a means for employees to create stronger bonds with each other. To ﬁnd out more about the Green Thumbs at Work Employee Garden Program and how to apply for next year’s grants, go to VCGN.org. Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden author, speaker and radio and TV personality. Not only is he known in Vermont for his talks, two radio shows, and TV show, he also consults with nonproﬁts, companies, and individuals with the goal of helping people and organizations grow stronger connections to the land and each other while creating productive and beautiful gardens.

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Crickets

Set the Table with… by Pamela Hunt

Like many new fathers, Stephen Swanson wanted to do something to make his children’s world a better place. After reading a  report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization about the health and environmental beneﬁts of eating insects, he told his wife, Jen, that he wanted to start a cricket farm in their Williston garage.

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dishes from tacos to soup to handmade chocolates from Nutty Steph’s in Middlesex. Rachel says that during that time she met increasingly more people who had already tasted insects. She feels that eating bugs was going from “cutting edge to mainstream” in just a short time. Why crickets? Well, that future warehouse space Stephen mentioned is one of the big advantages that insects offer over traditional animal protein sources: They require a significantly smaller amount of room and resources to raise. All they really need, says Stephen, is “a box, some things for them to crawl around in, and food.” Crickets aren’t picky eaters, either. “They’ll eat anything— they’ll eat meat, they’ll eat plants, they’ll eat each other…,“ he says. ”They’ll eat cardboard, if they’re hungry enough.” The Swansons are even thinking of pursuing oﬃcial organic certification for the crickets themselves; “hopefully down a road, but not right away,” Stephen explains, due to the

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMORROW’S HARVEST

She didn’t believe him at first—“I kind of came out of left field with this,” Stephen admits—but since then the pair have spent more than a year experimenting with their chirpy herd and have recently expanded the operation, named Tomorrow’s Harvest, into their basement. “This is kind of a final proof of concept,” Stephen says. “Eventually, we want to get into a warehouse and really start upping the production.” Tomorrow’s Harvest has not yet begun selling crickets commercially, but Stephen led a City Market workshop last fall to introduce curious participants to the idea of incorporating insects in their diet. He demonstrated how to make a “gateway” cricket dish: cookies, with cricket flour standing in for some of its wheat-based cousin. Others have held insectivore dinners in the area, to great success. A few years ago, Rachael Young, of EatYummyBugs. com, put on entomophagic, or bug-eating, meals in Montpelier and at ArtsRiot, where diners sampled a variety of insects in

cost, although he adds that they currently feed the crickets an organic, non-GMO powder, specially formulated for crickets, that ensures the insects have plenty of protein and vitamins. Johanna Setta, a certification specialist assistant at Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), said that other certification programs in the U.S. have granted the organic label to insects using an adapted livestock standard. If asked to certify an organic insect operation, NOFA-VT would follow suit, although she noted that additional requirements would have to be met if value-added products, such as cricket flour, were produced. The time span from the just-hatched pinhead to the ready-to-harvest adult is a short 7 to 12 weeks, depending on the temperature. “The warmer it is, the faster they live and go through their lifecycle,” Stephen says. He aims to harvest after eight molts, before the adults develop their wings and the females their ovipositors, which they use to deposit their eggs in the ground. “Those bits are a little harder to digest,” he remarks. At harvest time, the crickets are popped into a fridge until they go dormant (a state called diapause), then moved to a freezer where they die. The Swansons’ colony comprises the gray-brown European house crickets (Acheta domestica). “The people in the know, the people who have been eating insects, say they’re the tastiest,” Stephen says. And to allay any fears of these creatures escaping into the Vermont wilds and pushing out native species, he explains, “They wouldn’t take over North America—it’s too cold here, and they’re not as aggressive as our native black field crickets. But it would make a lot of birds happy!” In cultures in which various insects get regular culinary billing, the specimens are usually collected in the wild, so insect farming for human consumption is still a relatively new field. Stephen is joining just a handful of other entomological farmers in North America in this endeavor, which features a lot of trial and error. “When you think about all the time and money that’s been spent perfecting the art of raising chickens and cattle,” he says, “that hasn’t happened for insects.” Despite the sci-fi movies depicting insects, particularly cockroaches, surviving a humanity-killing disaster, crickets are actually not all that hardy. “They are very susceptible to small environmental changes—almost like the canary in the coal mine—so you have to be careful about tainted food or water,” Stephen says. The nutritional benefits of crickets are hard to deny. They’re full of protein, with 100 grams of crickets packing 12.9 grams of protein, as well as omega-3s, fiber, calcium, and several essential vitamins such as vitamin B12. And they don’t taste bad, either. Meredith Knowles, the outreach and education coordinator at Burlington’s City Market, had the chance to sample some cricket cuisine at the class Stephen led through the co-op. What did she think? “Popcorn…it was airy and crunchy, like roasted chickpeas,” she said. Stephen was no insect aficionado before founding Tomorrow’s Harvest. “My wife and I had never eaten insects before—this was weird for us,” he recalls. “We actually started

Choco Chirpies: Chocolate Chip Cricket Cookie Makes 36 cookies ½ cup cricket flour 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter softened, 2 sticks ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate morsels Preheat oven to 375 °F. Whisk flour, cricket flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8–9 minutes or until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on sheet for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Recipe from bugvivant.com

the company before we had even eaten any crickets.” He recommends roasting or dehydrating them, then seasoning them like popcorn. “Once you put that first one in your mouth and get over the chewing, the mental block is pretty much gone.” Now that he and his family are well past the “ick” factor of eating insects, their preferred method of preparing the crickets is sautéing them to “soften them up and give them the flavor and texture of shrimp.” (With the mention of these crustaceans, it’s important to note that allergies to shellfish likely include an allergy to crickets and other insects due to their common carbohydrate, chitin.) As for the future? Stephen can hardly wait. After all, his decision to name the company “Tomorrow’s Harvest” instead of “Cricket Harvest” was a conscious one. He and his wife wanted to “leave the possibility open to include other species. There are more than a million insect species in the world, with more than 2,000 having been identified as safe to eat. The opportunity is there, and we want to explore it.” Pamela Hunt lives in South Burlington with her husband and two dogs and writes about travel, food, and general Vermont goings-on. Follow her website: pamelahunt.com.

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Pigs and Whey: “It just makes sense.” by Caitlin Gildrien “When people tell me they’re thinking about getting into cheese, I tell them to get pigs.” Mateo Kehler of Greensboro’s Jasper Hill Farm pauses. “In fact, I wish we’d gotten pigs before we got cows.” Pigs, of course, have long been central players in farmstead operations, turning the various inevitable wastes of any farm into valuable meat. And they have a particularly special place on traditional dairies, given that the typical conversion of fluid milk to cheese is only about 20 percent, meaning that 80

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percent of the weight of the milk is left over as whey. Feeding whey to pigs is a tradition worldwide. For example, the hogs that become Italy’s famous prosciutto de Parma are traditionally raised largely on the whey from the production of the region’s other specialty, Parmigiano Reggiano. And pigs are generous fans of cheese itself, including scraps, overly experimental batches, or those that go awry. Today, many large-scale cheese operations spray their whey on fields, or mix it into manure lagoons. It can’t just be

photo by meg lucas

dumped down the drain, because its high acidity and protein content can cause problems. Increasingly, large companies such as Cabot process whey into protein powder and similar supplements, but few American universities have seriously taken up the question of whey as a supplemental ration, and the perishable nature of the product seems to make it impractical for industrial-scale hog operations. Whey is a heavy liquid that doesn’t store very easily. In the winter it is prone to freezing; in the summer it can quickly spoil. “Pigs will turn their noses up to whey when it passes a certain point,” says Evan Bendickson, project manager for VT99, a new project between Jasper Hill Farm and nearby Pete’s Greens. Still, a handful of Vermont farms are experimenting with pigs and whey. Jasper Hill Farm, based in Greensboro Bend, has had a pork operation for several years, powered by the whey left over from its renowned cheesemaking, but this year the farm has expanded its pork project. It has teamed up with Pete’s Greens in Craftsbury, a diversified vegetable farm, so that Pete’s is now providing vegetable scraps for the pigs, Jasper Hill is providing whey, and both farms are raising the pigs on their respective land, cycling between pigs, vegetables, forage crops, and grazing cattle. The project, called VT99, increases the land base available to both farms and provides additional feed for the hogs. The two farms’ primary products—cheese and vegetables—are incorporated into the end-stage of the pork: sausages featuring Pete’s Greens beets and Jasper Hill cheese. To overcome the logistical challenges of slaughtering in Vermont (the state’s small slaughterhouses often can’t accommodate large batches of animals in the fall, when most livestock producers and homesteaders take their animals in to be processed), VT99 has chosen to keep its processing in-house; in fact, the name “VT99” comes from the number of the Vermont State license of their processing facility. Their animals are slaughtered at Northeast Kingdom Processing in Lyndonville, then processed at the new facility, located at Pete’s Greens. The pork products are currently sold to some of the same stores that sell Jasper Hill cheese in New York City, and the farm has plans to build the VT99 inventory and brand both locally and through Jasper Hill’s distribution network. Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester, a goat dairy that also uses its whey from cheesemaking to feed pigs, is getting around the slaughtering bottleneck by purchasing feeder pigs in the fall and getting them slaughtered in the spring, the opposite of the typical schedule. “That’s when the piglets are the cheapest and the slaughterhouses have openings,” explains farm owner Hannah Sessions. “It also works well with our flow of milk production.” Hannah gives the whey from Blue Ledge cheesemaking to pigs at her own farm and to a neighbor who feeds it to pigs as well as to beef cattle. although the production of pork is quite small at Blue Ledge—once peaking at 15 pigs per year and now down to just a few—Hannah echoes the general agreement that pigs belong on dairies. “It just makes sense,” she says.

But there’s another challenge facing Vermont farmers who feed whey to pigs: marketing their whey-fed pork. “For a lot of people, it’s a new concept,” says Sebastian von Trapp, of von Trapp Farmstead in Stowe, where pigs were added to the dairy operation five years ago. At the time, the farm was beginning to shift to cheesemaking from shipping milk to Organic Valley. A friend and employee, Ignacio Villa, suggested that pork would be another way to add value to the farm, so Ignacio and the von Trapps partnered to create the brand Vermont Whey Fed Pigs. Pigs were raised at the von Trapp farm and fed whey from the cheesemaking operation, Ignacio was the marketer and production manager, and pigs were bought in from other local dairies in an attempt to build a brand and market demand.

“When people tell me they’re thinking about getting into cheese, I tell them to get pigs.” Mateo Kehler of Jasper Hill Farm Part of the goal of the operation was to create a set of guidelines and even a certification for a “whey fed” label in Vermont. The amount of whey a pig can consume varies based on breed, age, and type of whey being offered, but most of the farmers interviewed for this story said they were feeding an average of about 10 gallons per pig, per day. Of course, a farmer can always offer less whey and supplement with other rations such as grain feed, day-old bread, or culled vegetables, so at what point is a pig “whey-fed”? The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service regulates what meat producers can put on their labels; for terms that aren’t legally regulated, farmers must essentially provide paperwork to the USDA stating that their practice matches what they would like to put on their label. Ignacio Villa and Vermont Whey Fed Pigs received approval from the USDA in 2014 to use the claim “whey-fed” on their labels, defining their protocol as a minimum average of 2.5 gallons of whey per day, as well as clarifying that the farm must bring in piglets before two months of age, and have pasture and shelter available. A larger project to create a whey-fed certification—similar to that for certified organic, although smaller in scale—has potential, although it’s not something that Sebastian von Trapp is working on at the moment. “It’s a very long-term project,” Sebastian says. “Maybe a 20-, 30-year project” to create a set of standards and a certifying body. However, even with their protocol, Vermont Whey Fed Pigs found the market challenging. A pastured pig grows more slowly than one conventionally grain fed, and even with a “free” source of protein in the whey, expenses add up. For Ignacio, the costs eventually outweighed the amount of time he was willing to spend marketing the product rather than farming. “We have to be responsible about the environment, what we do with our genetic materials, how we treat animals,” he says. “All those things create costs.” Continued on page 23 S u m m e r

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Jovin Ehrt, James Daly, and Meg Kirkham harvesting ﬂint corn at Singing River Farm

Sharing the Whole Earth Perspective Organic farmers in the WWOOF program pass down the values of the local food movement Singing River Farm in Rockingham belongs to a global network of organic farmers who welcome strangers into their lives for an educational and cultural exchange. The network, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is better known as WWOOF, and the people who visit farms are known as WWOOF’ers. In the United States there are more than 2,000 hosts—more than 50 alone in Vermont—and they offer hands-on lessons about organic farming to newcomers who might one day farm themselves. My first experience WWOOFing was at Singing River Farm last September. I had little knowledge about gardening when I started at Singing River, but I wanted to immerse myself in a sustainable environment and learn how to grow food in non-harmful ways. Being a farmer wasn’t exactly a career goal of mine, although I had developed a faint dream of being a farmer florist and growing some food on a very small-scale, some faraway day, maybe. Laurel Green and Steve Crofter established Singing River Farm in 2012 and have 8 acres of open land on which they’ve

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established large gardens, a flock of chickens, and beehives. They also grow an impressive variety of produce, mainly for their own use. The farm’s tagline is “Cultivating Harmony,” which refers to both land and people. Of the 37 WWOOF’ers who have visited the farm, Laurel says it’s her goal to “develop a perennial crop of new growers—people who get excited to grow food for themselves and others for the rest of their lives.” In addition to participating in the WWOOF program, Laurel and Steve are involved with aiding refugees near the Mexican border, host workshops at their church about white privilege, and are consistently working against racism, homophobia, and sexism in their community. Steve says, “The most exciting aspect is combining our goals of raising food and running a farm with our larger goals of making the world a better place. I view Singing River Farm as a platform from which to work for environmental restoration and social justice.” During my time there, two other WWOOFers were staying on the farm: James and Jovin. Between the five of us, we harvested honey, arranged bouquets, dehydrated tomatoes,

PHOTO BY LAUREL GREEN

by Amber Newman

PHOTO BY AMBER NEWMAN

canned applesauce, installed irrigation, rebuilt garden beds, and more. I also learned about transplanting, handling eggs, building the soil, sheet mulching, and many other specifics of responsible crop production. Our days were full and sweaty, but a dip in the river and a good garden meal restored us every night. Jovin, who was visiting from Germany, often talked with Steve about language, and James would share his knowledge about cooking and community living. “I like people,” Steve says. “And it’s exciting to meet so many new folks without having to leave home.” Steve taught me how to drive a tractor, clean a chimney, roof a shed, use a chainsaw, and split wood. As a young woman taking these lessons from a white male much older than me, I was surprised each time by his gentle encouragement and eagerness. I never felt that I wasn’t strong enough, that he didn’t have faith in me, or that either of the guys would be better suited for the task. Learning at Singing River proved to me that striving toward self-suﬃciency was doable and rewarding. There was definitely a period of adjustment when I first arrived. I wasn’t used to waking up so early or being in the sun for hours on end. My body was exhausted for the first couple of days, too. Steve and Laurel were in better shape than I was, which says a lot about their healthy lifestyle. Another challenging aspect of the WWOOFing was managing alone time. I slept in a camper tucked in the woods, but meals, the internet, bathroom use, and showers all took place in their home. For me, being with people—even people I really enjoy and get along with—for too long can take a toll on my energy levels. I passed up a couple of events that sounded rather interesting just to get a little quiet time. Just as when you visit friends and family, there’s always more to do than there is time in the day. I left Singing River with what felt like a new extension of family, but also with a wealth of new knowledge. Since then, my WWOOFing adventures have led me from Minneapolis to New England, down south to Georgia and then over to California, where I now have a job as an organic farmer florist for the whole season. About a dozen WWOOF farms have served as role models to me, and now, growing my own food, honoring and healing land, being an environmentally conscious consumer, and even living off the grid are tangible goals instead of distant, foggy ideals. The seeds that Laurel and Steve have lovingly planted in the hearts of their 37 WWOOFers (and countless friends in the community) are indeed contributing to a worldwide crop of more thoughtful human beings.

A sampling of Vermont WWOOF farms… In Danville, Stark Hollow Farm is a grass-fed meat operation led by partners Vanessa Riva and Laura Smith. On their 78 acres, they raise heritage breed sheep, pigs, cattle, and hens using organic methods and strategic rotational grazing. Stark Hollow began hosting WWOOFers last fall, giving people the opportunity to handle livestock and learn how to be ethically and ecologically responsible omnivores. “I think people have a glamorized view of farming … sheep grazing on rolling pastures … when the actual work is very different than that,” Laura says. “But we had a good first experience.” In Charlotte, Gia and Ben Pualwan tenderly care for 10 acres of land comprised of garden plots, open fields, and woodlands. Their farmstead, called Applepath, produces berries, grapes, tree fruits, and vegetables for the household, as well as for friends and family. This will be their sixth year hosting WWOOFers. Ben says, “WWOOF contributes to sustainability … by energizing and expanding the community of values, knowledge, and friendships.” And Melissa Masters, owner of Tanglebloom Flower Farm in Brookline, began as a WWOOFer herself. She is starting her second season and is now welcoming WWOOFers to come learn about sustainable, small-scale floriculture under her wing. Melissa recalls her own WWOOF adventures and is excited to offer a similar experience on her farm. “The cultural exchange is invaluable, offering folks experiences they will remember for the rest of their lives; possibly inspiring life-changing decisions.” —Amber Newman

Amber Newman is a freelance writer and editor passionate about living sustainably, supporting artists and small businesses, and promoting equality and love. It is her goal to change how to world deﬁnes beauty by advocating for ethical and natural incarnations of it that don’t harm the earth or its inhabitants. See more of her WWOOF adventures at withdirtonmyhands.wordpress.com.

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Unexpected Treasures John Miller and The Old Schoolhouse Plantery by Tatiana Schreiber

On the day of my visit, John is just back from the lumber yard, where he’d purchased wood and hardware cloth to build new protective boxes for his yacón and water chestnuts; his planting stock had just been devastated by rodent visitors. Holding up the meager remains, he sighes, “They’ve been eating things I never expected them to eat … the tillandsia [a plant that takes its moisture and nutrients from the air], they’ve absolutely destroyed the stems…. This was overflowing over the sides of this wire basket…. Look at the thorns on this century plant! They burrowed right underneath.” They also chewed right through the plastic crates in which the water chestnuts were growing under the

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PHOTO OF YACON BY MEG LUCAS; PHOTO OF GREENHOUSE BY TATIANA SCHREIBER

The one lesson John Miller says he always remembers from his years at Writtle Agricultural College in Great Britain is this: “Any fool can grow it; the trick is to sell it.” As a grower myself, I can’t quite agree that “any fool” can grow high-quality, unusual plants successfully, but I can attest to the validity of the second half of this aphorism—if you can’t sell it, you’ve got an interesting hobby, not a business. John has made it his mission to introduce—and sell—a wider range of vegetables, herbs, and ornamental plants to southern Vermonters through his business, The Old Schoolhouse Plantery. At least some of his unusual offerings—such as the South American tuber yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius)—are gaining favor at the Brattleboro Farmers’ Market, where he sells his plants in both winter and summer. But attracting new lovers of old, forgotten plants is not easy. Constant conversation with customers and lots of good signage are key to success. Selling, however, doesn’t come naturally to John, who lives in West Brattleboro and came to the U.S. from London in the mid-1970s to hone his horticultural skills on a work exchange program. He comes across as somewhat shy, happier hovering over his plants in the greenhouse than chatting up customers. But once he gets going he’s overflowing with stories, just as his greenhouse overflows with plants in trays on the shelves, in pots and containers of all sizes under the shelves, and hanging from every conceivable cross-piece above. His stories are about people who have given him unusual seeds; stories of near losses and miraculous rescues; and a mystery plant that someone gave him because she didn’t know what it was. (It turned out to be a rare blue flowering Impatiens (Impatiens namchabarwensis) from the Nam Chab gorge in Tibet.) The name “Old Schoolhouse Plantery” comes from John’s home, which once was the neighborhood one-room schoolhouse. As John guides me through the chaos of his greenhouse early this past spring, every few feet he pluckes a leaf and offeres it to me to try. The first offering was sharp, a little sweet, with a peppery afterbite: the Vietnamese cilantro (Persicaria odoratum). Its leaves can be eaten all season, unlike the cilantro most of us grow (Coriandrum sativum), which bolts and loses flavor in a few weeks and must be replanted. Still, John points out that it’s not easy to convince people to try something new: “It’s lack of education, lack of knowledge; people expect a direct substitute, but it isn’t, it’s something in its own right,” and people have to become accustomed to that. But, as he adds, “There’s 16 farmers selling kale, but only one selling Vietnamese cilantro. “ Being that farmer, with that special something no one else has, keeps customers coming back.

greenhouse tables. John speculates that the warm winter may have allowed the rodents to overpopulate; whatever the cause, he had saved out 200 yacón plants for propagation, and lost almost all. He’d had to order in 20 more pounds of “caudex,” the stem from which new seedlings grow, at a cost of $800. These are just some of the ups and downs of one who delights in trying new things, challenging himself to provide just the right conditions to enable the plants to thrive. John first learned about yacón while visiting a Finnish garden in Britain several years ago. “Trying to find it here was a challenge,” he reports. “I found it in Washington State, and everyone was saying how good it was,” so he started growing it. His main criteria for trying a new plant is, first, that it tastes good and next that it can thrive well in our environment (or indoors, in the case of his many succulents and other tropical ornamentals). Yacón is a tuber, sweet and a little crunchy, somewhat like jicama. It can be used in a wide variety of ways: cooked and raw, stir-fried and in soups. One of its very desirable traits is that it loses little quality over long months of storage. It also grows happily under wet conditions, which is great for John, whose land is in a flood zone that was underwater during Tropical Storm Irene. In addition to selling yacón at the Brattleboro Farmers’ Market, John has been wholesaling it at local food co-ops, including the one in Northampton, Massachusetts, where it is starting to do very well. He still considers his Plantery obsession a hobby, and one that gives him considerable pleasure, but he’d like to see it become a viable business. The yacón sales are a source of optimism. Water chestnuts are another—he started growing them just for fun, as he’d heard that homegrown water chestnuts were far superior to the familiar canned variety. Apparently his rodent visitors thought so, too, but once he can rebuild his supply he’ll be plying these at the farmers’ market once again. His overall gross income has doubled this year compared to last, and new ideas are percolating. There’s the Babington leek (a nice substitute for ramps that overwinters well) and the Chicken Leg shallot, which he says is a cross between shallots and onions and grows to 3 to 4 inches in size. He will consider almost any plant with an interesting profile as long as it doesn’t tend toward invasiveness if it should escape cultivation. One of the first unusual plants that set John on this path was Cilician parsley. This is a more delicate, woodland plant than the robust Italian parsley most of us are familiar with. According to food historian William Woys Weaver, it hails from a time when “piquant green sauces reigned supreme on the tables of medieval kings, and when parsley was first among all other green vegetables, not the afterthought garnish it has evolved into today.” Cilicia was a district of Armenia that existed between 1198 and 1375. Apparently its seeds were saved, handed down and passed around since then, and eventually they came to the Astoria, New York area in the 1960s. William, the food historian, was growing this plant in his Pennsylvania garden in 2002, but John could not find any commercial source of the plant or seeds in the United States, so he figured he had found a niche. The taste is citrusy, and John claims it makes a fantastic tabbouleh. John has eaten everything edible that he grows—“I

haven’t found a vegetable I don’t like”—and it turns out many of the plants that we don’t often think of as edible actually are. For example, he points out that all dahlias are edible, but there’s one, dahlia imperialis, or tree dahlia, that is very tall, with a huge tuber that is rich in inulin, also present in yacón, Jerusalem artichoke, and the spring bulb, Camassia. When cooked slowly, the inulin caramelizes and its sweet-earthy flavor is at its best. Canna edulis, an edible canna lily, also has great potential as a starch substitute, John believes. He also grows a wide variety of potatoes; among the most popular is Bintje, a Dutch heirloom from 1910. Many sources claim this the most widely grown yellow-fleshed potato in the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe—being an “heirloom” doesn’t necessarily mean a variety is obscure. John says it’s the most popular potato by far in Italy. “Over here it’s an heirloom, a niche crop; in the U.K. it’s sold at every chip shop.” What distinguishes this variety, he says, is that “it grows fantastic, it produces well, and in the end, it tastes great.” Making a business out of a hobby requires perseverance, ingenuity, and some tricks of the trade. John discovered that he could sell many more mini-pots of baby succulents for $4 each or 3 for 10 dollars, than if he sold 4-inch pots for $10 each. They take only a month to reach selling size, and one tray of 72 plants brings in nearly $300. As a grower, you have to balance what people are willing to pay and what is worthwhile for you to do. The little succulents that don’t take much work make up for the more time-consuming items that John has to sell for much less than they’re worth. He’s also learned he can train a certain type of jade plant into a bonsai shape and create little bonsai landscapes; these make popular gifts and are much easier to care for than “real” bonsai. Recently John’s spouse, Diane Miller, a craftswoman, started decorating little glass orbs using fabric that house pretty terrariums of air plants, which appeal to many. If he can make local customers happy with his vegetables, and keep tourists intrigued by his ornamentals, John can engage in a hobby that year by year may allow him to bring in more income. And despite the setbacks, such as this year’s rodent attack, it’s clear that little will stop John from his passion—turning people on to the diversity and wonders of the plants that burst with color and life all around him. “Look at this! It’s one of my favorites. I’ve been growing it for 30 years,” he says, showing me a large, gangly succulent (Aeonium arboretum ‘atropurpureum’). “It hardly produces any side-shoots, but I’ll keep growing it because I love it. If it ever does [produce side-shoots again] I’ll sell them at $4.” For a plant that’s been nurtured for three decades, that will be a bargain. John Miller’s plants are available at his website, oldschoolhouseplantery.com, as well as at the Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market and the Brattlboro Winter Farmers’ Market. Tatiana Schreiber grows and sells heirloom and unusual varieties of eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, as well as medicinal and culinary herbs, at her farmstead, Sowing Peace Farm, in Westminster West. She also teaches ecological agriculture and other topics at local colleges and shares John Miller’s passion for the wonders of plant diversity.

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Spreading Joy There’s a bounty of new butter makers in Vermont

What would we do without butter? It’s the magical element that makes croissants possible. Smeared onto dark, German-style bread, it creates a snack hearty enough to power a lumberjack through a busy afternoon. Browned, it brings a nutty richness to sweet and savory foods alike. Not to mention its role as a cooking medium. Butter is delicious and versatile. And for those of us privileged enough to live in a place with far-reaching food access and a large number of dairy operations, we now have the option of choosing among a wide selection of butters, each one different from the next in some large or small way. As the selection has gotten more diverse, the gap in price has also widened. At City Market/Onion River Co-op in Burlington, for instance, butters abound. For basics —the classic four wrapped sticks in a box— there’s Cabot for $4.79 a pound and Organic Valley’s version for $6.99 a pound. Cultured butter is a different beast. Churned from cream that’s been inoculated with lactic bacteria and fermented into crème fraîche, it is slightly more complex and flavorful. The live cultures arguably make it healthier, too. Organic Valley’s cultured version is $9.38 a pound. Vermont Creamery’s is $9.78 a pound, and the newer Ploughgate Creamery cultured butter sells for $13.98 a pound, as does the one from Kimball Brook Farm in North Ferrisburgh. And then there’s one offering that costs even more than that. Packaged in mint-green foil with a handsome label that boasts “100 percent grassfed,” the butter from Mountain Home Farm in Tunbridge rings in at $19.96 per pound.

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PHOTO OF MOUNTIAN HOME BUTTER BY JESSICA BOGARD

by Suzanne Podhaizer

PHOTO OF PLOUGHGATE BUTTER BY EMILY RAK

Unwrapped, even in early spring, Mountain Home’s very lightly salted butter is several shades more golden than any of its competitors. That’s because the farm’s seven Guernsey and Guernsey-Jersey cows are 100 percent grass fed, rotated through 70 acres of pasture in the summer, and in the winter given the farm’s own hay, with no supplemental grain or silage. This feeding regimen makes for a high level of carotene in the milk, which translates into the butter’s bright hue. A diet of grass also leads to higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, and vitamin K in both meat and milk, which is why it’s touted as a healthier alternative to products made from grain-fed animals. We have “complete control over the process,” explains Lindsay Harris, who co-owns Mountain Home with Evan Reiss. “Butter is the result of our passion for trying to do something that’s not destructive … as a tool for healing the land on all kinds of levels.” Each week, Mountain Home produces around 40 pounds of butter, 150 pounds of ricotta, and 20 to 25 gallons of buttermilk, which are sold mainly at specialty food stores, co-ops, and farm stores throughout New England and in New York. Although the ricotta and buttermilk are priced competitively, Lindsay admits that the butter is on the pricey side, which is reflective of the work and care that is taken to produce it, the quality of the product, and the economies of scale that are unavailable to businesses of her size. “We probably pay five times more for containers than Cabot does,” she guesses. From paper towels to sea salt to labels, small producers shell out a higher unit price for nearly everything, and those costs are folded into the costs of their products. Plus, cows fed solely on grass simply produce less milk than cows that also receive grain. The way Lindsay sees it, when food is produced in ways that sap resources, it might cost less in dollars, but the true costs of production are externalized as environmental damage, low wages for farm workers, and less healthy herds. Enough people agree with her that, she recalls, they were “begging [her] to make butter.” Now in their second year, “we’re growing a loyal following.” And the “gushy emails” Lindsay receives from customers who haven’t tasted butter like hers since they visited Europe, or since they were children making their own with cream from the family cow, “are just so gratifying.” Mountain Home’s operation is somewhat similar to the one at Animal Farm in Orwell. There, for more than a decade, Diane St. Clair has been hand-making small batches of farmstead butter—approximately 100 pounds a week—that she sells primarily out of state to some of the country’s finest chefs: Thomas Keller, Barbara Lynch, and Patrick O’Connell. Her cows, like Mountain Home’s, are grass fed. By her own admission, Diane’s butter is too expensive for local restaurants to consider, although they—as well as regular shoppers—do have access to her reasonably priced buttermilk. The thick, flavorful liquid is a tangy and refreshing stand-alone drink, but unbeknownst to most contemporary consumers, buttermilk can also be swapped for other dairy products in a wide variety of recipes.

In 2013, Diane published The Animal Farm Buttermilk Cookbook: Recipes and Reﬂections from a Small Vermont Dairy Farm. The recipes, such as Buttermilk and Shrimp Soup and Old-Fashioned Spicy Gingerbread, offer simple and creative ways to incorporate buttermilk into cooking. When Diane started, in 2000, she was selling her butter at the Middlebury Co-op for $6 per lb. Now, it brings in closer to $23 per lb. “There were no [artisan] butter producers when I started,” she recalls. “There were cheese producers, but butter was just a commodity.” But when, like Diane, you scoop the cream from the milk with a ladle and wash the butter by hand, commodity pricing isn’t going to cut it. Between buttermilk sales and her restaurant accounts, Diane says her model is viable and sustainable, and suggests that Vermont has more room for artisan butter makers, although the market isn’t infinite. “We’ll hit a wall at some point,” she says. “There are only so many people who can afford $20-a-pound butter.” She hopes that entrepreneurial farmers won’t stop there: “There’s still ground to break in terms of small-batch dairy products,” she suggests, referring to things like cottage cheese, which she describes as often poorly made and “pasty tasting.” Cheese forged the way, but there are still a lot of dairy products that need to come into the fold.” Marisa Mauro, the -year-old owner of Ploughgate Creamery, was living in Albany and making fine artisan cheese when a fire destroyed her facility. Through the Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program, she was able to purchase the Bragg Farm in Fayston, which boasts a stunning mountain view, a sturdy barn, and 50 acres of pasture that, Marisa notes, “needs some loving.” Although making cheese had been part of her life since she was 14, she says, “I felt the market was a little saturated. I couldn’t think of another cheese to make.” But there wasn’t an abundance of local butter. So Marisa originally planned for her Continued on page 2 S u m m e r

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seeds for change

POP Clubs and the Power of Produce by Carol Stedman Imagine a world where small children race through your local farmers’ market from booth to booth, greeting farmers by name and asking relevant questions about the fresh produce they see on the tables. As they leave each booth, they’re munching fresh vegetables and madly scribbling notes about what they’ve just discovered. Soon, other children follow and they form clusters around a vendor, asking questions and discussing the answers among themselves. Next we see parents and siblings involved, trailing the children, tasting, questioning, and having a good time, too. A true revolution. This is already happening—at Vermont farmers’ markets that have instituted a Power of Produce (POP) Club. Although POP Club is for children 5 to 12 years old, everyone at the market is involved as they observe the fun, smile, nod, and ask, “What is going on here?” As a vendor at the Hartland Farmers’ Market, I direct them to the POP Club table and explain what this revolution is all about: real dietary change that is delicious, fresh, and local. No one wants to eat better if it is depriving, limiting, or boring, so at POP Club we influence children to eat fresh, local produce by making their market experience a discovery process with tasty rewards and fun along the way. POP Club formats can vary, but ours in Hartland is a simple one. When children arrive at the market, they’re invited to join

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the POP Club. We have a small booth with a chalkboard sign. It’s free to all children. We have them enter the club by signing in on a passport that is kept at the market and stamped each time they come. They receive their own POP Club shopping bag, and at our club they’re given a five-question POP Quiz that functions as a scavenger hunt, moving them from produce vendor to produce vendor with questions to ask the farmers about the fresh produce they’re seeing at the market. In the questions they might have the farmers’ name. They might be asked to sample, or count, or touch, or taste. They might be directed to a special art station or planting station. They’re encouraged to collaborate with each other and share what they’re discovering. When their quiz is finished, they bring it back to the POP Club booth and receive perhaps another experience or sample and then receive three POP Club dollars, which they can only spend on fresh produce. Since they’ve already had a positive interaction with the farmers, they’re empowered to speak to them and ask for what they want. Often their last POP Quiz question involves them thinking of their favorite ways to eat the vegetable in season that they’ve just sampled. I pre-print an easy recipe for them to take home to make with their families. Their parents are also engaged at this point and have questions and enthusiasm, as well. (Nothing like seeing your child chomp

away at fresh produce to get a parent excited!) I first heard about POP Clubs at a Vermont Farmers’ Market Association workshop in April 2015 and I was intrigued. POP Club started in 2011 at the Oregon City Farmers’ Market as just an idea with a sponsor, but it’s spread like wildfire since then. At that workshop I saw a YouTube video produced by Oregon City Market about their POP Club, and I became inspired to create one. By June 2015, I had our local Hartland Garden Club as a sponsor and an idea to center our club around a five-question POP Quiz. I had some POP Club market bags made by a local vendor, printed some POP Club produce money, and took a leap of faith. As a farmer in Vermont, I’ve had a longtime interest in getting children involved in eating good food and engaging in the local food system. I’ve volunteered in local Farm to School programs during the school year. But whenever the summer growing season has begun, I’ve seen a void. Here was the perfect activity. I announced the creation of the POP Club on our town listserve and plunged in. By the end of the 2015 summer farmers’ market in our small Hartland community, we had 78 POP Club participants, many who came weekly. And the most common phrase I heard from parents was, “My kids beg to go to the market each week!” The next most common phrase was, “I could never get them to try that before!” The revolution begins with their positive exploration and true experiential education. It then spreads through families and the community. As the market season progresses, the 2 or 3 POP Club children at the first market becomes 5 or 6, then 10 or 12, then 20 or more. This is not fantasy. Why is POP Club so effective? The simplicity of the program is key. Because children are empowered with their own shopping bags and their own produce money, they’re engaged and excited about the market. They’re busy with an experiential task with their peers. They’re the leaders in this game and it is fun for them to buzz around the market with a mission. They like to help newcomers make their way around the market, as well. They’re learning something new and are encouraged to taste—and to share with their peers and family—what they’ve just discovered. The questions on their quiz introduce them to the farmers by name and give them permission and priority to engage directly. The farmers are prepped to be on the lookout for the POP kids and to have seasonal offerings to taste. They also size and price those items in POP-friendly increments. If you’re interested in starting a POP Club at your local farmers’ market, watch the 15-minute Oregon City Market video at youtube.com/watch?v=JkXZATbO3Pg. Also check out farmersmarketcoalition.org/programs/power-of-produce-pop/ to find support materials and more info!

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Editor’s note: At least four other Vermont markets have a POP Club and half a dozen are planning one. Carol Stedman owns and runs Clay Hill Corners Blueberry Farm in Hartland, a small pick-your-own farm. She also grows specialty greens and vegetables, and runs Green Thumb Quiches, a home-based catering service.

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PHOTO OF MOUNTIAN HOME BUTTER BY JESSICA BOGARD; PHOTO OF PLOUGHGATE BUTTER BY EMILY RAK

BUTTER Continued from page 

own herd of 15 to 20 milkers, intending to make a farmstead product much like Mountain Home’s and Animal Farm’s. But after constructing a dairy-processing facility robust enough to sustain the butter business’s growth for years to come—a project that took longer than planned and ended up over budget—there wasn’t enough money left over to build a herd. So she adapted, and in doing so, realized that she could help support some of Vermont’s existing dairy producers. Marisa began sourcing cream from St. Albans Cooperative—which aggregates milk from 400 conventional dairy farms—and now weekly churns out 200 pounds of sea-salted, cultured butter that is rolled by hand and wrapped in fetching brown-paper packages. Like Mountain Home, she sells to a variety of specialty food stores and co-ops, primarily in New England and New York. Because she doesn’t yet have her own animals, and thus isn’t tied to a milking schedule, Marisa is able to travel to Boston and New York City to do tastings, meet prospective customers, and make sure that retail businesses are taking the proper care with her products. Recently, she got hooked up with David Chang’s Momofuku Ko in New York City, which is now buying her butter. In addition to working with the St. Albans Co-op, Marisa is leasing land to the Von Trapp Farmstead, which will be putting heifers on her pasture, thus turning the property into a working farm. In addition, Nathan and Jessie Rogers of Rogers Farmstead, based in Berlin, make their whole-milk yogurt in Ploughgate’s facility. Of the Rogers, Marisa says, “It’s really fun to have them around and to talk about farming. That collaboration inspires more ideas.” Just a year into production, Ploughgate is still looking to increase sales, but Marisa is also looking to the next phase of her business. Soon, she hopes to add a flavored butter or two,

Other Vermont Butter Makers Vermont Creamery, Websterville Cultured butter made of cream from St. Albans Co-op $9.78 lb. at City Market Kimball Brook Farm, North Ferrisburgh Cultured, organic butter made of the farm’s own cream $13.98 lb. at City Market Jersey Girls Farm, Chester Organic butter made of the farm’s own cream $20 lb. on their website Larson Farm and Creamery, Wells Cultured butter (beginning in the summer of 2016; will be certified organic by Fall 2016) If you know of other butter makers in Vermont, write to us at info@localbanquet.com and we’ll add them to this list on our website.

to diversify her offerings. Down the road, when she does have her own cows, she expects she’ll continue to produce her current product and add an artisan offering—made only from her own milk—to the lineup. Clearly, as with many other items such as coffee, beer, and cheese, butter has joined the realm of things we can make active decisions about, rather than grabbing the only option from the supermarket shelf. Price point plays a major role, but so does flavor, and knowledge about how each product is produced. Given the many roles that butter plays in the kitchen, the best part may be that you don’t have to choose just one. Suzanne Podhaizer is a food writer, chef, poultry farmer, and the owner of Farm-to-Table Consulting. Through the latter, she teaches cooking classes, oﬀers workshops for farmers, develops recipes, and designs kitchens. She lives at Good Heart Farmstead in Worcester.

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Rural Needs From A To Z

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R. B. Erskine, Inc. Grain & Supplies Chester Depot, VT 802-875-2333

Mon. - Fri., 7:30 - 5:00 Sat. 7:30 - 3:00

Certified Organic

Loyall

Your Community-Owned Grocery Store 82 S. Winooski Ave • 7am-11pm every day www.citymarket.coop 22 local banquet

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Now Stocking:

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Blue Buffalo Fromm Dave’s Natural Special Orders

A...Animal Traps & Repellents B...Bulk Seed: Garden/Pasture/Lawn C...Canning Jars, 4 oz. - 64 oz. D...Drip Irrigation E...Extensive Electric Fencing F....Fence Panels: ¼” Wire, 16’, 4 Styles G...Garden Goodies Galore H...High Tensile Fencing I....IPM Pest Control J....Jiffy Peat Pots K...Kids’ Gloves L....Leader Evaporator Dealer M...Moo Doo, Moo Start, Moo Mix N...No GMOs In Our Seed Catalog O...Organic Feeds & Fertilizers P....Plumbing Supplies Q...Quality Hand Tools R...Row Cover S....SELKIRK Chimney Systems T...Tanks & Tubs & Totes U...USA Pet Supplies & Treats V...Vermont Products W...Wire, Welded & Woven X...Xtra Service Y....Yard Hydrants & Parts Z....Ziegler Trout Food Good Service. Everyday Low Prices. Much, Much More

PIGS AND WHEY Continued from page 

Last year, Ignacio and the von Trapp farm parted ways, and Vermont Whey Fed Pigs is in the process of selling its inventory of pork, although the von Trapps continue to sell whey-fed pork under their own name. Despite the challenges of raising and marketing whey-fed pork, pigs continue to take their rightful place on dairies. Like many of Vermont’s small food businesses, these whey-fed pork producers are hoping that consumers will find the high quality of the product, and its philosophical underpinnings, worth the price tag. All the farmers interviewed for this article cited flavor as one of the key benefits of whey-fed pork. Mateo Kehler calls it “the best sausage I’ve ever had.” Adam Longworth, chef-owner of the Common Man restaurant in Warren, is one of many chefs who agree. He finds whey-fed pork, which he buys from the von Trapp farm, “so delicate and tender that it doesn’t need any heavy sauce.” He likes to serve the pork with pasta—“I love it with pasta,” he says—along with broccoli raab and a good olive oil. “Once you try whey-fed pork,” Adam says, “you can’t eat anything else.”

40th Anniversary Picnic! Sat. June 25, NOON to 2pm Bouncy House, Balloons, BBQ, Ice Cream and Birthday Cake!

Fun and FREE for the Whole Family!

info@uppervalleyfood.coop

UVFC ~ 193 North Main St, WRJ, VT ~ (802) 295-5804

Caitlin Gildrien is a writer and graphic designer in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. With her husband and two small children, she also grows several acres of organic vegetables and medicinal herbs on their 200-year-old farmstead. Visit her at cattailcreative.com.

Inside/Outside Dining • Farm-to-Table Lodging • Cooking Classes • Fridays Live Music

802-263-9217 • WeathersfieldInn.com 20 minutes to Okemo/20 miles to Woodstock

Growers of Tasty Organic Vegetables and Fruits

1939

Available at our farm stand, our own: Strawberries, Blueberries, Beans, Peas, Greens of all sorts, Sweet Corn, Carrots, Broccoli and much more. We also have a wide selection of other local artisanal foods!

Plus a wide selection of annuals, perenials, and organic vegetable starts for your garden.

802-442-4273 clearbrookfarm.com

Our farm stand is open daily May-Oct. Rt. 7A Shaftsbury Also at Manchester and Londonderry Farmer’s Markets

RTE 9 WEST BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT (802)254-8399 WWW.CHELSEAROYALDINER.COM OPEN DAILY 5:30AM—9PM

Ice Cream Stand is Open!

Homemade hard ice cream & dairy-free sorbets. Premium creamies, frozen yogurt, sundaes & shakes. Budget friendly menu w/grass-fed burgers,fresh fried seafood,daily specials.

Celebrating our 26th year! Come see why!

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Vermont’s food system plan being implemented statewide to:  increase economic development and jobs in the farm and food sector;  improve access to healthy local food for all Vermonters.

www.VTFarmtoPlate.com Farmers, Food Businesses & Service Providers: Get Listed for FREE on the VT Food Atlas

ask for newhall farm Ice cIder the new classIc vermont Beverage

www.VTFarmtoPlate.com/ATLAS

w w w . n e w h a l l fa r m v t . c o m

Visit Our Farmstand

4th Annual J u l y 9, 2016

120 VARIETIES OF APPLES

pears

jam

plums

jelly honey

grapes cherries

pumpkins

peaches

maple syrup quince paste

nectarines

our own fruit pies

white peaches

Join Our CSA

10am – 5pm Saturday:

Heirloom Apple Cider quince, medlars, gooseberries, apricots, blueberries

VACATION In One of Our HistoricHomes

TAKE CLASSES Hard Cider Making Tart or Pie Baking Make Your Own Beer

707 Kipling Road . Dummerston, VT www.landmarktrustusa.org www.scottfarmvermont.com 802.254.6868

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Vendor Tastings • Giveaways Cooking Demonstrations Dinner by Chef Cal Hingston & Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton Lodging Packages • & Much More! $10 Adults • Kids Under 12 FREE

A Landmark Trust USA Property

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July 9, 2016

G R A F TO N FO O D F E ST I VA L . CO M

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Farming, Friends and Outdoor Fun Overnight Camps Ages 9 to 17 Barn Day Camp 4 to 10 Plymouth, Vermont www.farmandwilderness.org

46 Depot Street Ludlow, VT

802-228-5200 www.stemwindervt.com

A full-service auction company, Sharon Boccelli & Company is a trusted name in the antiques trade, with over 30 years experience buying, selling and appraising antiques and collectibles. Whether you need a complete estate liquidation, appraisals for probate or insurance, or to sell individual pieces, your needs will be handled professionally and promptly by our experienced staff. Call us for a free site visit. Visit our website for upcoming auctions.

Wine, Cheese & Specialty Foods Since 1996 802-228-4128 www.wineandcheesedepot.com

46 Canal St. Bellows Falls VT 05101 802-460-1190 or cell 617-413-4054 www.sbauctioneers.com S u m m e r

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Williamsville Eatery

Temple Chiropractic Supporting the health care needs of the community for the past 35 years Specialist in the treatment of non-surgical back & neck pain

Wood-fired pizza on Thursday & Sunday Vt. beer & cider on tap We’re southern Vermont’s only Slow Food ‘Snail of Approval’ awardee

DR. VERNON R. TEMPLE Chiropractic Physician DR. DAVID PARELLA Chiropractic Physician 102 Saxtons River Road Bellows Falls, VT 05101 802–463–9522

802 365 9600 WilliamsvilleEatery.com

In the village of Williamsville

104 VARIETIES OF APPLES Your Local Solar Installer will answer your call, meet your budget, AND build your project.

802.869.2588 • 802.490.0640 Consultation • Design • Installation • Service

Air Source Heat Pump Installation Energy Efficient COOLING and Heating saxtonsriversolar.com srsolar@comcast.net

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Champlain Orchards & Cidery, Shoreham VT (802) 897-2777

Visit Us at the farm Off of Rt 103

Open Daily 157 Thompson Rd

Chester, VT

Visit Jersey Girls Dairy and Farm Store at the farm in Chester, Vermont ... Meet the Girls, See the Farm and Pick-Up some of their quality dairy and meat products. Like Us on Facebook: Jersey Girls Farm Store jerseygirlsdairy.com jerseygirlsfarmstore.com

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We do not sell your SRECS Prioritizing Life Cycle Environmental Costs, EU and USA Components Serving VT, NH, MA.

Farmers’ Kitchen

Tater Days by Paul Betz High Ledge Farm

When we moved into our 1880s farmhouse in Woodbury, one of my favorite places was the cellar. It had a dirt floor, and the northern half of the house was built onto a massive piece of ledge. There were tool marks where stone had been removed to make a little more clearance, and the foundation followed its curves. The house was firmly rooted to its place in the world, and much of its strength came from below the soil line. Tacked to the stairs were the backs of several old Nabisco shredded wheat boxes. Written on the cardboard, in a neat cursive hand, were the amounts of potatoes put into the cellar from the early 1900s through the 1930s: 50 bushels of Green Mountains … 38 bushels of Kennebec. The average annual store was 80 to 90 bushels, 4,000 pounds give or take. Hopefully that was enough to carry the Lawson family past April and to provide some seed for planting the following May. Ever since we started our farm and began supplying fresh produce through our local farmers’ market and a CSA, potatoes have always spoken to me. There’s just something about them, from the act of their planting to the magic of their unearthing. At our scale, growing about half an acre each year, I handle each seed piece, choosing to cut it or not, before it goes in the ground. We lay them in a furrow and gently cover them, so they can feel the growing warmth of the late spring, and hill them and weed them. Their flowers range from whites to pinks and purples, and when they’re at peak bloom, there isn’t a more beautiful spot in my town. Over the course of a year I have many favorite days, but one of them is when we dig the potatoes in the fall. We mow the tops in late August, signaling to the plants that the time for growth is over. For the next two weeks the skins of the potatoes toughen, and they enter a state of dormancy. On

harvest day, as they break the surface and ride up the back of our ground-driven potato digger, we are the first people to see these tubers. It’s always amazing to me—a true reveal in the field. While I love a good French fry, robbing the patch of some early new potatoes and boiling them is a special thing. It’s a turning point in the season for us, when we’re offered a glimpse of where the crop could be going. We toss them with some butter and salt and take some time off to think about the work ahead and the work behind us. Paul and his family—Kate, Maizie, and Kieran—can be found at the Montpelier Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, selling fresh vegetables from High Ledge Farm, as well as French fries to order. When he’s not working on the farm, Paul works in sales at High Mowing Organic Seeds in Wolcott.

Beer-braised Potatoes with Cheddar and Horseradish Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman in How to Cook Everything (Wiley, 2008)

PHOTO COURTESY OF HIGH LEDGE FARM

Serves 4 2 pounds potatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cups of Vermont beer, any kind 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or try other cheeses) 1 tablespoon non-GMO corn starch 1 tablespoon horseradish (or more, to taste) handful of parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium-size chunks. Put the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the potatoes until they begin to turn golden; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes more. Add the beer and enough water so the potatoes are barely covered. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low. Let the mixture bubble gently for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, toss the corn starch with the cup of shredded cheese. When the potatoes are almost done, stir in the cheese mixture. Add the horseradish. Stir until the cheese melts, throw in the parsley, and serve.

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Adams Park, Rt. 7A, Manchester Center 30+ vendors with a variety of local produce, meat, cheese, crafts, and more. Live music. Free activities for kids all summer.

Opening May 26th

Thursdays 3-6 PM Debit, Credit, EBT, Farm to Family Accepted

www.manchesterfarmers.org

Southern Vermont’s premier farmers’ market featuring over 50 vendors

Saturdays 9–2 May 7–October 29 Route 9, West Brattleboro

Tuesdays 4–7 May 31–September 27 Flat Street, Brattleboro

802-254-8885 / brattleborofarmersmarket.com

EvEry Sunday 10am - 2pm

WEST RIVER

Great Foods, Plants, Crafts, and Music! A Warm Community Gathering

H.n. WilliamS STorE rouTE 30, dorSET, vT Shop for Groceries, Great Gifts, Special Occasion Meals, Join us for a Tasty Breakfast or Lunch, Listen to a Local Live Band

WWW.DORSETFARMERSMARKET.COM

EBT, dEBiT, and CrEdiT CardS aCCEpTEd

FARMERS MARKET Join us at the Farmers’ Market on the West River in Londonderry. 45 Vermont Vendors offering fresh produce, meats, cheeses, herbs, flowers, maple syrup, baked goods, breads, specialty foods, and unique artworks. Saturdays 9am - 1pm, Rain or Shine Memorial Day through Columbus Day May 28th thru October 8th Jct. Rtes 11/100 Londonderry, VT

westriverfarmersmarket.com Join us for our 2016 Market Season! 4 p.m.-7p.m. every Friday afternoon, May 27th-October 7th FEATURING

FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN & RAISED PRODUCE, CHEESE, & MEAT ARTISANAL SPECIALTY FOODS, HANDMADE CRAFTS, NICE PEOPLE 53 Main Street, Ludlow, VT | www.ludlowfarmersmarket.org | (802) 230-7706

7th Annual

Putney Farmers’ Market Sundays 11 am - 2 pm May 29 - October 9 accepting ebt/debit/crop cash PutneyFarmersMarket.org

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Fresh Taste Local Flavors New Vendors Welcome Like us on

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EBT, Debit, and Farm to Family Coupons Accepted

C A L E N D A R Thursday, June 2 to Saturday, June 4

Nourish Vermont: Traditional Foods and Health Gathering 9am–5pm Come learn the core principles of traditional diets, inspired by the teachings of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and explore how embracing this lifestyle can contribute to one’s health, wellness, and longevity. Registration is required. Childcare available. . Shelburne Farms11 Harbor Road , Shelburne. shelburnefarms.org 802-985-8686

for making exceptional cheeses, taste great local foods, wines, craft beers, and spirits, and meet the artisans who make them. Spend a high summer day on the shores of Lake Champlain at historic Shelburne Farms Coach Barn sampling, buying, learning, and making new friends. This festival includes more than 45 cheesemakers, 80 artisan foods, wine, beer, cider, and spirit producers. Shelburne Farms, 11 Harbor Road, Shelburne. shelburnefarms.org 802-985-8686

Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 5

Friday, July 29

Strolling of the Heifers 8am The world-famous agriculturally themed Strolling of the Heifers Parade—10 a.m. sharp on Brattleboro’s historic Main Street; pre-parade entertainment from 9 a.m. When it’s over, follow the crowd to the all-day, 11-acre Slow Living Expo for food, music, dance, demonstrations, exhibitions, and fun, all related to our mission of sustaining family farms by connecting people with healthy local food. Downtown Brattleboro. strollingoftheheifers.com 802-380-0226

Vermont’s Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival through August 7 Nine days of fun for all ages: block parties, blue-eyed contests, blue cocktails, a Blueberry Parade, blueberry culinary experiences, blueberry bingo, pajama parties in the blueberry field, a Blueberry Ball, blue dot specials, blue inspired craft options, the Deja Blue Car Show, blueberry pie eating contest, and a Blueberry Quest! Visit website for individual events. vermontblueberry.com 802-464-8092

Tuesday, June 14 to Wednesday June15

5th Annual UVM Food Systems Summit: What Makes Food Good? The UVM Food Systems Summit is an annual event drawing scholars, practitioners, and food systems leaders to engage in dialogue on the pressing food systems issues facing our world. Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington. uvm.edu/foodsystems 802-656-3831

Antique Tractor Day 10am–3:30pm Tractors made between the 1920s and 1960s will be displayed from 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. by the proud and talented folks who restored them. The tractor parade at 1:00 p.m. includes restoration details and historical information. Tractor-drawn wagon rides and tractor activities for children. Billings Farm and Museum, Woodstock. billingsfarm.org 802-457-2355

Saturday, June 25

Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 14

Foodaroo: Second Annual Street Festival 3–9pm Presented by Middlebury UndergrounD (MUD) and Town Hall Theater, this daytime, family-friendly event unites some of the state’s most talented culinary artisans. Food trucks and craft purveyors from across Vermont converge on the town square, offering Foodaroo attendees a taste of the best our state has to offer. It’s a celebration of summer, shining the spotlight on the farm-to-table lifestyle. The backdrop of this culinary bonanza features a variety of eclectic acts—from street performers and buskers to leading local bands, including The Grift, Josh Panda, Francesca Blanchard, and Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. General admission is FREE. Middlebury Merchants Row and Town Green. middunderground.org 802-388-4277

Sunday, July 17

The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival 10am–4pm Join us in 2016 as we celebrate the 8th Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival. Vermont is a world-class cheese state with the highest number of cheesemakers per capita: 50 of them. You are invited to share their passion

Sunday, August 7

NOFA Summer Conference Join people from across the Northeast and beyond for a three-day celebration of the grassroots organic movement. This year’s keynote speakers bring a passion for solutions—Leah Penniman, food justice activist and farmer at Soul Fire Farm, and André Leu, international organic agronomist and President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. UMASS, Amherst, MA. nofasummerconference.org

Friday, August 19 to Sunday, August 21

Kingdom Farm and Food Days 8am–5pm The Northeast Kingdom Farm and Food Days is a weekend-long celebration of regional farms, local food, gardens, small producers, and agricultural businesses. Workshops, food, and tours will be available to all attendees. All events are FREE, open to the public, and fun for all ages!, Various locations. East Burke. kingdomfarmandfood.org 802- 626-8511

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Turnip on Top

Just when you think politics has reached its lowest point of decomposition, a vegetable comes along to reaﬃrm your faith in responsive government. Over the past two years, nearly a dozen students from Wardsboro Elementary School made trips to Montpelier to lobby representatives at the Statehouse. Their goal was to make the Gilfeather turnip—their “hometown, homegrown, humble turnip”—the state vegetable of Vermont, and to get a civics lesson in the process. Without too much effort, and presumably without having to wear high heels or spend money on fancy steak dinners, the students successfully persuaded House and Senate leaders this past April to declare Vermont’s first state vegetable—an heirloom vegetable that originated in Wardsboro, a town in southeast Vermont. John Gilfeather was a farmer in Wardsboro in the early 1900s when he reportedly developed a sweet, mild-tasting, and very large turnip from promising seed. To keep others from growing out the seed, he allegedly cut off the tops and bottoms of his turnips before selling them in Brattleboro and Northampton. But eventually, the seeds got around, and by the early 1980s the Gilfeather had become so beloved that Dummerston residents Mary Lou and Bill Schmidt trademarked the name— not to keep people from growing the seeds (you can easily obtain them from Fedco Seed Company) but to prevent large companies from gaining control of the product.

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Although there’s a debate over whether the Gilfeather is actually a turnip or a rutabaga (some say a sweet German rutabaga could be in its parentage), “turnip” is the word used at the annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival, which takes place in Wardsboro in late October and raises money for the Friends of the Wardsboro Library. And now that it’s an oﬃcial state vegetable, the turnip joins an elite group of other state vegetables, such as the New Mexico chile and the North Carolina sweet potato. Given that John Gilfeather was briefly a state legislator in 1908 and (like the Wardsboro elementary students) must have come up to Montpelier a number of times himself, he would probably be tickled to know that his turnip provided lighthearted laughter for legislators as they debated the turnip bill in late April, toward the end of yet another brutal legislative session. The bill didn’t quite sail through, though. Standing firm to his moral principles—and his preferred tastes—Sen. Kevin Mullin of Rutland was a “no”vote. “I can’t vote for a vegetable I can’t even eat,” he told WCAX. Still, in a moment of candor, one of the Wardsboro 6th graders, Jesse Dykes, said lobbying to make the turnip the state vegetable “was nothing, really…. As soon as someone said there was a Gilfeather turnip cookbook, one of the Senators was sold!” If only the U.S. Congress could be so easily swayed. —Caroline Abels

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRIENDS OF THE WARDSBORO LIBRARY

LAST MORSEL

John Gilfeather at his Wardsboro farm; an entry in the Gilfeather turnip contest for the largest turnip grown.

Food, Farm, Lodging & Agritourism Marketing

THE DIFFERENCE IN WELLWOOD’S IS

1st Annual “FLAVOR”

Marketing Plans Branding Print Packaging Websites Social Media

June 25 ,2016 10am–4pm “60 years of doing business”

Pick Your Own Strawberries!

802-485-7274

Call for Conditions & Time

PamKnights.com

802-263-5200

529 Wellwood Orchard Road, Springfield, Vermont 05156

Growing Strong Businesses Since 2000

Miller’s Thumb Gallery! Celebrate the arts!

Open ! daily: 11-4 June!

Your Locally Grown, Community Owned Grocery Store Since 1976!

!10-6 July & August ! Join us Sat. June 25th from 4-6:30 pm to celebrate our new show “Garden of Earthly Delights” Live music and local hors d’oeuvres

Featuring 120 Vermont artists in a historic grist mill by beautiful Caspian Lake “Sleeping Fox” ! hand felted rug by Amanda Weisenfeld

14 Breezy Ave, Greensboro VT (802)533-2045

www.MillersThumbGallery.com

Open 7 Days 8am-7pm 9 Washington Street, Middlebury, VT 05753 388-7276 middlebury.coop

c your

ommunity-owned market & deli

A Wood-Fired Artisan Bakery In Alstead, NH Available in Stores & Farmers’ Markets Throughout the Region

www.orchardhillbreadworks.com

E v E ryo n

• Produce • Bulk Foods • Cheese • Meat & Seafood • Grocery • Soup, Salad & Hot Food Bar • Deli & Café • Juice Bar • Beer, Wine & Cider • Vermont Gifts • Wellness • Floral

E is w E lc o m E !

BrattleBoro Food Co - op Mon - Sat 7–9, Sun 9–9 • 2 Main Street, Brattleboro BrattleboroFoodCoop.coop • 802-257-0236

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UNIQUE INSPIRING ONE-OF-A-KIND ACCOMMODATIONS

Rudyard Kipling slept here. You can, too!

Memorable for You and Your Family Significant for Special Events Your Choice of Five Historic Properties including Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha.

We Provide Everything but the Food: • Gorgeous Settings | Fabulous Ambiance • Fully Restored with Modern Amenities • Reasonable Pricing | Wifi

RUDYARD KIPLING’S NAULAKHA | THE DUTTON FARMHOUSE | THE SUGAR HOUSE AMOS BROWN HOUSE | THE KIPLING CARRIAGE HOUSE

Landmarktrustusa.org

PREVIEW

I got a hankerin’ for some Black River Hot Dogs

Now you’re talkin’!

Great minds think alike! Look for our Hot Dogs and all our local meat products at your grocer. blackriverproduce.com

Doggie Hamlet

Dummerston, Vermont 802 254 6868

Friday, September 16 + Saturday, September 17 @ Vermont Shepherd Farm 281 Patch Farm Road, Putney, VT Choreographer Ann Carlson and her collaborators of dancers, border collies, sheep, and local musicians weave instinct, mystery, and movement into a beautiful dreamlike performance spectacle.

for more information: vermontperformancelab.org/events 802-257-3361