FARM FEATURE ARTICLES

Increasingly, more farmers and agriculturalists are turning to social media platforms to build connections with their consumers, share their experiences and stories, and even to educate people about where their food is coming from and how it’s grown. Social media has provided an opportunity for farmers to market their products and services and also bridge the gap between rural communities and urban consumers. 

Sky High Farm is not your average Upstate New York farm. A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, since its inception, Sky High Farm has donated 100% of the vegetables and protein grown and raised on the farm to food access partners throughout New York state. 

It cannot possibly come as a deep, dark secret that the Hudson Valley is steeped in farming history, ranging from the days of Native Americans on up to today. If your intention is to farm in a productive fashion, common sense would tell you that it is advantageous to find yourself some good soil in which to grow your product – if you’re standing in the Hudson Valley, you’ve come to the right place. 

If you’re taking a drive through the countryside and you find yourself on Route 83 in Amenia, NY, chances are you’ll come across Elk Ravine Farm. The farm – owned by Jim Archer and named for the Rocky Mountain Elk that it initially housed – sits on 90 sprawling acres that encompass multiple different habitats, including wetlands, marshes, meadows, and forests. 

But if farming is becoming a less common profession, why does it seem like farms are cropping up (no pun intended) with more regularity in our region? Why, if farming is becoming arguably harder to do, are people more drawn to the land in recent years? What are some of the qualities of the modern farmer? These are some of the big-picture questions I sought answers by speaking with a handful of farmers in our region. 

Blackcurrants might not be on the list of fruits you consume regularly, but did you know that they’re the most nutritious berry? Did you also know that blackcurrants were outlawed in the United States until 2003? They were deemed to be a potential threat to white pine, and as such, any kind of production with blackcurrants halted immediately.

Take a drive down the single-lane gravel path off of State Route 23 in Claverack, NY, and you’ll find yourself greeted with warm restored barns, a cocktail garden with an abundance of seating, and – of course – spirits aplenty.  Cooper’s Daughter Spirits, located at Olde York Farm, is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery, cooperage, and apple orchard.

Deep Roots Farm is a family run farm in Copake, NY. Run by farmers Scott and Stormie O’Rourke and their two daughters, Scarlet and Fiona, they grow organic food with regenerative and sustainable practices at the forefront.

High Spirit Community Farm is a therapeutic residential and farm-based work program for adults with intellectual disabilities in Great Barrington, MA.

With so many local suppliers, restaurants and the chefs who head them have plenty of options for sourcing delicious seasonal food, and Migliorelli Farm is proud to be one of them.