Shop Local & Eat Healthy FOR THE HOLIDAYS

BY MINDY TORAN

Whether you’re looking for a fresh, organic turkey for your holiday feast or something more exotic, like pheasant, guinea hen or duck, Dave’s Backyard Farms can help you find something to make the season special.

Farmer Dave Hamalian opened his organic grocery store in Huntingdon Valley this past summer, with a focus on offering fresh, locally sourced foods to the community. The store offers a variety of fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, bread, eggs, milk, pastries, ice cream and more.

The opening of the store has been a labor of love for Hamalian, who actually began farming on the land behind his parents’ Huntingdon Valley home five years ago. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from Ursinus College, he went on to complete a master’s degree from the University of Bremen, Germany. Through his study of the past, he realized how much we have moved away from the land in the last century. After much travel and introspection, he decided that he wanted to reestablish this connection with the land through farming.

please see ORGANIC, page 11

Hamalian spent four seasons as an apprentice at farms throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, attending farming conferences and immersing himself in agricultural literature. One day, while driving through his hometown, he was struck by the number of sunny lawns and realized the immense potential for growing food in his own community. With all that he had learned, he launched Dave’s Backyard Farms in 2017.

In the beginning, Hamalian farmed his own vegetables and herbs and sold them at local farmer’s markets, including Bryn Athyn, Ambler and Holy Redeemer, where he met many other local farmers. He eventually began selling additional produce like apples and peaches, mushrooms and local meats and bread that he purchased wholesale from other vendors. He opened his first store inside the Creekside Co-op in Elkins Park in 2020. In August, he opened his Huntingdon Valley store, where he’s set up shop full-time and is now fulfilling his mission of providing local residents with access to nutrient-dense, flavorful, chemical-free food and strengthening neighborhood connections.

“Growing my own produce and working with other local farmers to sell their products helped create the momentum to open my own store,” says Hamalian. “I met a lot of the vendors I work with today by going to local farmer’s markets and working for other farms, building connections in the community. My store is unique because there aren’t too many grocers who are also farmers. Our food is truly organic, locally sourced and grown using good labor and agricultural practices.”

All of the food and other items offered at the store come from local farms and vendors. Hamalian brings in fresh-baked bread from Ursa Bakery in Germantown, which is baked using locally grown and milled wheat, rye and spelt; ice cream from Owowcow, which is made from scratch using local, organic milk and fruits; chocolates from Moka Origins, which has direct relationships with local farmers; and locally sourced eggs, milk and cheeses, in addition to organic meats, chicken and seafood.

Hamalian also highlights the work of local artists, musicians, craftspeople and writers at the store. “I’m a big believer in not just eating local, but supporting the work and enjoying the creations of local people in the community,” he says.

The wooden table that serves as the dis-

19006 play centerpiece in the store was made using sustainably and locally sourced wood by Hamalian’s friend Karl Reiders, who is also a musician and owns a recording studio in Wyncote. The counter and shelving were for the holidays, Hamalian is happy to help. His weekly newsletter, which you can sign up for at DavesBackyardFarms.com, provides a list of all the products available, in addition to stories and anecdotes promoting the benefits of eating locally sourced food and supporting the local community. •• made by local woodworker Matt Maidera. A beautiful ceiling mural was painted by Emily of Emily Paints. And artwork by Bronwen Henry and photography by Page Morahan, both local artists, decorates the walls and is also available for sale.

If you’re looking for something special

Dave’s Backyard Farms is located at 2587 Huntingdon Pike, on the corner of Huntingdon Pike and Red Lion Road. The store is open Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Sunday, from 10:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking is available on Red Lion Road, in the gravel lot behind the  through 10:30 p.m.