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6 September 2012 The North Star Monthly New life blooms at Joe’s Brook Farmstand By Jacob L. Grant Joe’s Brook Farm getting washed away during a flash flood that flattened the entire spring crop with about four feet of water on May 26, 2011. Nature may strike. Hurricanes may come. But with a little neighborly support and some good ol’ fashioned Vermont determination, it’s always possible to get back up. Eric and Mary Skovsted learned the value of community support last year when their small farm and vegetable stand in Barnet was ravaged twice in the same summer by flooding—the first by a mammoth storm that washed away their spring planting; the second as the result of Hurricane Irene, which put their cropland under three feet of water, sweeping away topsoil and crops and replacing them with rocks and contaminants. “After the second flood, I thought about getting another job,” Mary joked. “But, seriously, when it comes to farming, you always have to expect something to go wrong, kind of anticipate some kind of catastrophe. And when it happens you just sort of go with it.” She admitted that the experience of nearly losing her farm twice didn’t come without its share of tears. It was also a powerful lesson in the value of community when a large group of supporters came out to help them get back on their feet, with some even bringing transplants to help rebuild the crops they had lost. “During the May flood, we weren’t the only ones affected,” Mary said. “I mean, roads were washed out, everyone suffered loss, but about 60 people still came out to help us. Because farming isn’t just about a farm, it’s about people. It’s about a community.” Joe’s Brook Farm is a fouracre, organic vegetable farm, just south of St. Johnsbury, named after the Passumpsic River tributary that waters the fertile floodplain where the Skovsteds grow their crops. If you take Route 5 through Passumpsic, just make a right after the famous red round barn in Barnet. After about a mile and a half you’ll come to 19th century farmhouse on the left across the road from a beautifully restored brown barn, which hosts Eric and Mary’s farm stand. The land drops off sharply behind the barn to the picturesque fields of Joe’s Brook. Several greenhouses dot the acreage, one of them a portable greenhouse, which slides back and fourth on a rail system to house cold weather crops and make better use of the nearby soil. The greenhouse also contains the story of how Eric and Mary’s farm got started. The two of them met at Middlebury College in a creative writing class. Eric, 32, is a native of Colorado. Mary, also 32, hails from a dairy farm in Barnet—literally one valley above where she lives now. After college, Mary spent a few years puttering around in carpentry, distilling vodka, nursing, and working off and on at a vegetable farm in Plainfield, N.H. It was through this experience that she discovered the satisfaction of living off the land. Eric taught middle school science for a few years before learning carpentry. He is currently a self-employed contractor—his business is called EBS Designs—which is the Skovsted’s main source of income. During the winter months, when work slows down, Eric devotes more time to the farm. The two of them bought their home in 2007. A couple years later they purchased the barn on the other side of the road. At the time it was a dilapidated old structure, predating the Civil War— by Eric’s estimation—and it wasn’t useable. But buried in dirt and decades of clutter was an old tractor that caught the eye of Mary’s then employer, Pooh Sprague, of Edgewater Farm, in Plainfield, N.H. He traded them the portable greenhouse for it. Eric said he and Mary knew very little about vegetable farming when they began— not to mention how little they Our Agents: Susan Quatrini Steven Quatrini 24/7 Info Line 866-348-3998 Enter Property Code Waterford | $259,000 Lovely 1830’s cape is spacious and charming. Wide-board floors, sitting room off the kitchen, formal dining room, 1st floor bedroom, bath and laundry. 26.1 acres with field, out buildings, small pond and brook. PC# 000037 Sara Heft Joyce Wieselmann Ryegate | $177,000 Danville | 150,000 Waterford | $136,000 Linda Pakus Charming 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath colonial on a nicely landscaped village lot.Wood floors, fireplace/pellet stove, wainscoting, foyer, shipwright paneling, built-in hutch, kitchen w/stainless steel appliances PC# 004837 Enjoy all Danville village has to offer! Lovely corner lot walking distance to “The Green.” One level living, walkout basement (could be finished), attached garage and deck with nice views. PC# 005437 Affordable ranch tucked off the road on a 1-acre lot. 2-3 bedrooms, hardwood floors, screen porch, handy kitchen and walk-out basement. Lilac and apple trees, lots of perennials and a garden shed. PC# 005827 | 1111 Main St. Suite 101 | St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 | 866-348-3998 | info@quatrini.com
Mary Skovsted, left, owner of Joe’s Brook Farm, selling at the St. Johnsbury Farmers’ Market and preparing vegetables for the farmstand. knew about organic farming—but, he said, they learned pretty quickly through experience. “We learned by screwing it up,” he said. “There’s a lot of resources for this kind of thing though, especially in Vermont. Vermont is so supportive of farming, probably moreso than any other state. There’s a large community of people in Vermont who want locally grown, organic food. It’s a movement that’s been building for the last 30 years or so.” Mary said the community has welcomed them and their crops with open arms. “The community,” she said, “just sucked us right in.” “We just love it here,” Eric said. “There’s a strong sense of community here. We’ve just fallen into a lifestyle here and the community has really welcomed us.” Restoring their barn was a process that took several years, and was interrupted twice by the storms they endured. In 2010 they were one of 25 farms to be awarded state funds to help restore old barns under Gov. Jim Douglas’ Historic Preservation Barn Grant program. Administered by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, the grant program provided owners of agricultural buildings with funds to repair roofs, foundations, walls, sills, and overall stabilization with an emphasis on “working barns.” “Barns and farmers go hand-in-hand,” Eric said. “These barns are diminishing. They’re worth saving, and the only practical way of restoring them is to use them.” “And I grew up around here,” Mary added, “so it was important to me to invest in this beautiful barn. Knowing it’s going to be standing for another 100 years, or more, and knowing I had a part in that, is very rewarding.” The barn was moved about 12 feet back from the road and was a given a pretty thorough interior overhaul. Eric said about three-quarters of it is still the original barn. However, it took a second grant in the beginning of 2012 for Eric and Mary to finish the work on the barn to get it up and running. Now it houses their farm stand with plenty of additional space for storage on the road-level floor, and a lower floor that contains a garage as well as a refrigeration unit and washing station. “Food safety is one of our www.northstarmonthly.com September 2012 7 top priorities,” Eric said. “We’re really concerned with putting a product out there that’s clean and sanitary.” Eric and Mary operate a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, providing weekly shares of vegetables to local members and area farmers’ markets. They also provide produce to some area restaurants. Their CSA begins with baby greens, spinach, scapes, carrots, strawberries, and a variety of other vegetables in the spring. Their tomatoes—which they seem to be famous for—are usually ready by the end of June and are quickly followed by peppers, eggplant, green beans and a mix of other vegetables. The latter part of the year brings about broccoli, lettuce, sweet spinach, candy carrots, squash, and potatoes. They also supply their own maple syrup and several gourmet jams and jellies along with high-end pesto and sauces. Going organic is clearly what the Skovsteds intend to keep doing. Eric said being an organic farm helps with the farm’s longevity. He said they like their neighbors, and they want their neighbors to like them, which means avoiding harmful pesticides and other chemicals that might harm abutting property. “We like having good neighbors, and we try to be good neighbors ourselves,” he said. “Besides, it’s what we like to eat.” Eric and Mary said they would like more people to join their CSA. They’re also interested in expanding and strengthening their connection with local schools. Their farmstand is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They welcome anyone and everyone to come out and see the newly renovated barn, and want everyone to know that their winter harvest of pumpkins, canning tomatoes, and pickling cucumbers are almost ready to come in. For more information, visit www.joesbrookfarm.com. fall in the kingdom by Robert Duncan The Carpet Connection Your full-service carpet and flooring store. We are experts when it comes to carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminates and area rugs. 199 Depot Street (802) 626-9026 Lyndonville, Vermont (800) 822-9026 www.thecarpetconnectioninc.com Prints, Prints on Canvas, Canvas Giclee, Note Cards and Calendars The Framing Format & Gallery 485 Lafayette Street • St. Johnsbury, VT • 802-748-3964 Home delivery spots are filling up fast for fall! Now is the time to buy! Providing Singlewide & Doublewide “Delivering what we promise” Manufactured Homes and outstanding customer service since 1974! Stay warm & cozy this winter, visit Bean’s Homes today! I-91, Exit 23 behind the Colonnade Inn, Lyndonville, VT (800) 321-8688 – Open 7 days a week www.beanshomes.com Trade-ins always needed!
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