My Favorite Farm Stands (in Southern Vermont)

A basket full of produce from Walker Farm

A few weeks ago, I drove to Putney to pick up a chicken order from my friends Justin and Vanessa at Leaping Bear Farm. I’m a loyal consumer, and aside from my emotional connection to these lovely people (our first summer in Vermont, we did a little part-time work doing chicken chores), their chicken and eggs are delicious. While picking up my order, I ran into some friends and had “elevenses” tea. Then, my dear friend Ruth gave me three heads of napa cabbage plucked from the garden to take home to make kimchi. Since Walker Farm was on my way home, I dropped by, chatted it up with the lovely folks there, filled my basket with too much produce-onions, garlic, hot peppers, cauliflower, leeks, herbs, corn, and tomatoes, and headed home. What is more luxurious than a basket full of produce?

Later that week, Romaine and I went to have a creemee at Lilac Ridge Farm, where Romaine milks cows a couple mornings a week. We sat with Amanda, the farmer, for a bit. She mentioned that the traffic at her farm stand has slowed down this time of the year. People tend to forget that the farm stands are full of food, though the farms are bountiful right now. I looked around her beautiful farm stand filled with kale, onions, the last of the summer tomatoes, teddy bear sunflowers, and so much beautiful produce. 

Our conversation inspired me to share a list of the farm stands I shop from and enjoy visiting. We live in Brattleboro and used to live in East Dummerston, so these are the farms in my area. There are SO MANY fabulous farms in our region that I want to support and visit, so this list will evolve and change as I continue to explore where I live. If you live in the area or are visiting, I encourage you to visit farms. 

These farms have a shop or stand where you can visit and buy from directly. While some farms will take virtual forms of payment, it’s a good to bring cash or a good old-fashioned checkbook, just in case. BYO shopping bags and a cooler if you have a long way to go. I encourage you to support local small farms and farmers working hard to provide us with food!

I’ve organized this list by towns/location.

Brattleboro

Lilac Ridge Farm

264 Ames Hill Rd, Brattleboro, VT 05301

https://www.instagram.com/lilacridgefarm/?hl=en 

Farm stand hours: 9 am - 6 pm every day 

Amanda and Ross run this farm. I’m grateful for them because they have welcomed us into their community with open arms. I like visiting this farm for creemees (soft-serve ice cream with a higher fat content), produce, and flowers, as well as the cute dairy cows. Romaine milks cows here a few days a week, and we made creemee cups for them this summer. 

Rebop Farm

1320 Sunset Lake Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301

https://www.rebopfarm.com/farm-store

Farm store hours: 9 am - 7 pm every day

Abraham and Ashlyn have a beautiful farm with gorgeous Jersey cows and a stunning farm shop. I love to get my meat from here and have subscribed to their winter meat CSA. Last year, I hosted my Madame Kim’s Supper Clubs at their farmhouse. 

Wild Carrot Farm

118 Fairly Wild Wy, Brattleboro, VT 05301

http://www.wildcarrotfarm.net/farmstand.html 

Farm stand hours: 8 am to 8 pm daily 

This is a beautiful horse-powered farm with a gorgeous farm stand run by the lovely Jesse and Caitlin. I love how well-stocked their shop is with local produce and various local vendors from the region.

Dummerston

Bunker Farm

857 Bunker Rd, East Dummerston, VT 05346

https://www.thebunkerfarm.com/

We used to live near this farm so we would pop by for eggs, meat, and their incredible maple syrup. They also sell plants focusing on native species. In the colder months, if you see smoke coming from their sugar house, you can visit and watch as they make wood-fired maple syrup and get a little taste. 

Scott Farm

707 Kipling Rd, Dummerston, VT 05301

https://www.scottfarmvermont.com/

Scott Farm is a beautiful farm with heirloom apples, pears, peaches, and other fruit. 

Walker Farm

1190 US-5, East Dummerston, VT 05346

https://www.walkerfarm.com/ 

One of my faves! We’re here a lot, and I love the people who work here. They have many plants, produce, food, and products. 

Putney

Green Mountain Orchard

130 W Hill Rd, Putney, VT 05346

https://www.greenmountainorchards.com/

Green Mountain Orchard has my favorite apple cider donuts in town. I like to come here for blueberries and apples. 

Leaping Bear Farm

153 Plowden Rd, Putney VT, 05346

https://www.leapingbearfarm.com/

You can order online or see them at the farmer’s markets. I love to get my chicken and eggs here. The chickens are grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic, and delicious! When Romaine and I first moved to Vermont, we did some chicken farming with Justin and Vanessa. 

Romaine at Lilac Ridge Farm

Jam Making Tips, Tools, and Guidance

Jam making is a method of preserving the bounty of summer. I’m usually happy to trade in a few hours of work to be rewarded all year with memories of sunnier days. While I’m pretty confident in my jam skills, I do not consider myself to be an expert, nor will I spend time writing a recipe or sharing techniques when there are those who do it much better than me. Instead, I’d like to share some resources and point you to Camilla Wynne who is a master preserver. I love that her approach avoids adding an additional step of using a water bath to can. I’ve linked her book, and some articles I’ve found online if you don’t want to purchase. I’ve also shared some tools that you can use to make jam making a breeze. 

Camilla Wynne’s Guidance 

Master Preserver Camilla Wynne Wants You to Stop Worrying and Just Can Your Jam | Saveur - a free primer on canning

KP+: Camilla Wynne's Strawberry Jam - a free recipe

Jam Bake - not free, but I highly recommend this book

Tools for jam (that are also workhorses in your kitchen)

Nordicware Half Baking Sheet - to put your jars in the oven

Nordicware Quarter Baking Sheet - also to put your jars in the oven but smaller

Canning funnel - useful for filling mason jars and other vessels without a mess

Skimmer - I love this skimmer for jams and stocks

Silicone Spatula - I keep several on hand in various sizes to scrape bowls, jars, anything clean. 

Mason jars and lids- go to your local hardware store, big box store, or food co-ops to purchase these as they are much cheaper there than buying online.

Tips

• Write the name of the jam and date (including the year) on the lid directly with a permanent marker. That way you know that the top has been processed, and won’t reuse when you’re jamming in the future. 

• Make a plan, and block out time to cook your jam. Play some music, have fun!

• E.g. evening of day one macerate fruit

• Day two: spend 2-3 hours on jam - reserve that time

• Follow the ratios/recipes! This is not a time to skimp on sugar. Sugar is crucial to preservation. 

• To decide on the size of the jam jar you’ll want to use, begin by thinking of how long it’ll take for you/your family to consume the jam. Once opened, the jam will keep in the fridge for up to one month.

I’m sharing some links to items I use and wholeheartedly recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you click through and purchase.

A Tour de Sel: Salts I Use in my Kitchen and Why

Everyday Opulence™ is finding joy in seemingly mundane moments in life. I believe an easy and attainable way to elevate your cooking and eating experience is through properly seasoning your food. Here is a short guide to the salts you’ll find in my kitchen and dining room, and how I like to use them.

Cooking Salts 

I keep two ceramic cups (that Romaine made) next to my stove near my cooking tools for easy access when cooking. I keep mother of pearl spoons in them for easy scooping.

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is the all-purpose salt that I use the most. I love the texture and lightness of this salt and how easily it sticks to ingredients.

I also keep coarse sea salt for salting soups, pasta water, rice, and larger quantities of liquid that need more concentrated salt. Since it’s unrefined, it has a light flavor and a grayish color from the minerals in the salt. I love Gros Sel de Guérande.

I always have a large bag of Korean Sea Salt in my pantry for making kimchis and ferments. 

Table Salts

As a chef, I know my preferred salt level is different from any of my diners, so I keep two types of salt on my table for guests to add to their dishes. I keep them in gorgeous silver bowls my friend Yasmin bought for me in India. 

First is Maldon salt. It’s super flaky and looks like little pyramids if you look closely. I love to top baked goods, salads, and other foods that benefit from a little shattering crunch of salt.

The second salt I have on my table is Fleur de Sel, an unrefined salt hand-harvested from the top layers of seawater as it evaporates. 

Salt Tips

Be judicious. Always taste as you go, and add a little at a time. You can always add more, but fixing something you’ve over-salted is difficult.

If you want a spoon to scoop your salt, use a mother of pearl or wooden spoon, as salt will corrode metal. 

I’m sharing links to items I use in my kitchen and wholeheartedly recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you click through and purchase.