When you visit our farmstead, you’ll notice a lot of diversity, and a lot of creativity and experimentation. We know that diversity leads to resilience, and the loss of one crop doesn’t mean disaster, and nobody goes hungry, because there’s always plenty more to eat. To us, that abundance is the greatest wealth. We also believe in low-waste, closed-loop systems. We minimize imported amendments, and rely as much as possible on returning native nutrients to the soil. It’s a beautiful ecosystem, with each animal and plant creating a web of growth and fertility. We believe in building the soil ecosystem, not destroying it, so most of our work is done with hand tools like our trusted broadfork.
We offer seasonal farm products, honey and beeswax, eggs, pastured chicken and pork, lard, and the occasional chicks or goat kids. We really like baking bread and making pickles and preserves, so those are almost always available on bake days or by special order. We also offer natural home and body care products, like goats’ milk soap, botanical tonics and tinctures, and herbal insect repellent.
We also offer homesteading workshops and classes to help reskill folks in the forgotten arts. Some topics include food preservation, soap making, small-scale poultry processing, dairy and cheese making, fermentation, composting, gardening and season extension. Many others are available upon request, and we’ll occasionally open up an activity we have scheduled, like compost building, or hoof inspection and trimming, for folks to come and learn. If we know how to do it, we’d be happy to set up a workshop to teach you how, too. Internships and intensive learning days are available for committed, hard working learners.Â
The farmstead is open weekdays from May through October, and by appointment or by chance year round. Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood.
Broadfork is a Vermont LC3 (Low-profit Limited Liability Company). Our mission is to promote small-scale, local, sustainable food systems, build skills that support food independence, and increase food equity across the region. In addition to providing free access to skills and education, a portion of our profits and products help support local charities.