At the Farmstand: Thanksgiving 2023

November 19, 2023 – 6:30 am

Fresh Veggies, great meats, applesauce, jams, milk, Pâté as a great & easy appetizer, leaf lard for flaky pie crusts, Dog treats & gifts. Even poultry feet to add some extra collagen and oompf to your turkey stock. And Field Stone Farm Pizza for an easy meal pre or post the holiday!

For Thanksgiving Week, our Farmstand is open Mon – Sat 10am to 7 pm and you can shop from us via the online weekly Northfield Farmers Market.

Our website is always stocked with lots of recipe ideas. You can scroll or search!
The farmstand is stocked with our products and those from our partners and other local regenerative farms. More new products each week!

Meats

Lamb

• Leg of Lamb, bone-in
• Rib Lamb Chops
• Loin Lamb Chops
• Ground Lamb
• Lamb Loin
• Rack of Lamb
• Lamb Shanks
• Lamb Shoulder Roasts, bone-in
• Lamb breast/ribs
• Lamb bones

Pork

• Bacon
• Breakfast Sausage Links
• Country Style Ribs
• Farmhouse Cumberland Bangers
• Farmhouse Maple Breakfast quick links
• Farmhouse Toulouse Sausage coils
• Fat
• Ground Pork
• Garlic & Parmesan Sausage Links
• Fresh ham roasts (not-smoked)
• Italian Sausage Bulk
• Pork Chops
• Pork Loin Roast, Bone-in
• Pork Boston Butt Roast, Bone-in
• Pork Shoulder Roast, Bone-in
• Sirloin Boneless Cutlets

Poultry

• Chicken, Stewing Whole
• Holiday Turkeys -Limited Availability

Honeywilya Fish
Alaskan Fish, line caught by a Vermont fisherman

• King Salmon
• Smoked Coho Salmon

Other Bits
• Soup & Stock Bones, Pork & Lamb
• Offal & Odd Bits – chicken & Turkey feet, Trotters, hearts, liver, kidneys, Pig Heads, etc.
• Raw bones for Dogs

Veggies & Fruit

• Beets, Red & Golden (Field Stone Farm)
• Black Currants, frozen
• Bok Choy & Tatsoi (Field Stone Farm)
• Cabbage (Field Stone Farm)
• Carrots (Field Stone Farm & Kildeer Farm)
• Celery (Field Stone Farm)
• Garlic
• Ginger, Baby frozen (FSF & GMG)
• Herbs: Sage, Thyme & Savory
• Napa Cabbage (Luna Bleu Farm)
• Onions (Field Stone Farm)
• Rutabega (Field Stone Farm)
• Salad Mix (Field Stone Farm)
• Salad Turnips (Field Stone Farm)
• Tokyo Bekana (Field Stone Farm)

Pantry & Prepared Foods

• Hot Sauces: Seaberry & Kiwiberry
• Applesauce, Pure & Maple Cinnamon
• Borscht Soup
• Chicken Bone Broth
• Dog & Cat Treats: dehydrated liver, hearts & more!
• Fricandeaux – baked charcuterie
• Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary Mix
• Herbal Teas from our farm herbs & flowers
• Maple Bread & Butter Squash Pickles with Artesano Vinegar
• Maple Bread & Butter Cucumber Pickles with Artesano Vinegar
• Mexican Pickled Carrots with Artesano Vinegar
• Curried Green Tomato Pickles
• Leaf Lard
• Chicken Liver Pâté
• Red Pepper Sauce
• Ramen Soup Starter – Broth & Pork
• Roasted Turkey & Squash Soup

From our Farm Friends

• Maple sweetened Jams from Lightfoot Farm
• Organic Black Beans, Morningstar Farm
• Organic Cranberry Beans, Morningstar Farm
• Organic Pinto Beans, Morningstar Farm
• Organic Yellow Eye Beans, Morningstar Farm
• Honey Mead Vinegar, Artesano
• Turmeric Honey Wine vinegar, Artesano
• Vermont Apple Cider Vinegar, Artesano (2 sizes)
• Farmstead Pizza from Field Stone Farm
• Honey, Brookfield Bees
• Maple Syrup, Brookfield Bees
• Cider Syrup, Brookfield Bees
• Raw Jersey Milk, Blue Goose Farm

Farm Inspired Gifts

In addition to our fresh, frozen, dried & canned items that make great gifts, we also have:

Farm Aprons
Notecards
Stickers & Magnets

By Laura | Posted in Available at our Farm Stand | Tagged farmstand, sausage, veggies | Comments Off

Roasted Chicken or Turkey & Squash Soup

November 19, 2023 – 6:07 am

Adapted from: SeriousEats.com

This continues to be one of our most favorite and most requested soups. We discovered it several years ago and it was the tastiest soup we had made in ages. Bonus is that it is really simple and can easily follow a yummy roasted chicken or roasted turkey meal (yes, perfect for holiday leftovers!) and you can easily scale it up – we know because we served it to 15 people the first time we made it and now we often make it in large batches for sale.

The original recipe called for skinning and cutting up the squash before roasting, but that seemed much harder than roasting separately. Plus then you can have a nice roasted dinner first! But the soup is also good enough to justify roasting some poultry just to make it.

1 large or 2 medium squash – butternut, buttercup, pumpkin.. your choice

1 medium onion, diced

Roasted Turkey or chicken (about 1-1.5 lbs per quart of stock)

Olive oil or poultry fat or bacon fat or lard– to basted chicken and squash

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups poultry stock

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Fresh cilanto, for garnish

Directions:

If making soup from raw ingredients (instead of leftovers)

Roast Chicken or Turkey – Using Mark Bittman’s Simple Roast Chicken recipe or Brine & Roasted Turkey. Use fat from previous roast chicken, olive oil or bacon fat to basted chicken.

Roast Squash: slice in half, remove seeds, spread with your choice of fat and herbs and roast around 400 degrees till done.

Roast/Saute onion – either with chicken or squash or just in the soup pot with some fat.

When Chicken is done. Cut/pull meat from the bones and cut into chunks and set aside.

When squash is done, scoop from skins and put in soup pot with onions, chicken/turkey stock, cumin and coriander and bring to a simmer. With a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash up the soup (really the squash in the soup), it will remain somewhat chunky. Then add lemon juice and chicken pieces. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste (it will depend a lot on how much salt and pepper you used in roasting the chicken and squash. ) Add a bit of the pan roasting juices from the chicken/turkey, this is the key to the best version of the soup.

Top with cilantro in your bowls and enjoy!

Leftover version: Enjoy your roast chicken or turkey with squash dinner(s). Saute some onions in a soup pot with some yummy fat (poultry would be ideal), then add your leftover squash, some stock, and spices. Heat to a simmer, add a bit of lemon juice and some leftover chicken or turkey. If you haven’t turned it all into gravy, add some of the pan roasting juices to the soup. Voila – soup.

By Laura | Posted in Eating from the Farm: Cooking Ideas | Tagged chicken, soup, squash, turkey | Comments Off

Brining & Roasting a Turkey

November 14, 2023 – 6:56 pm

We generally brine our turkeys, out of habit now almost. And because the Cooks Illustrated timing seems to work well for us, and if we are using a frozen turkey, brining is a GREAT way to finish defrosting the bird. We often use a cooler for the brining process and put in cold water and ice if necessary or put it outside or somewhere fridge-like.

Below is the Cooks Illustrated recipe for brining and roasting. We have also used this recipe without brining, in that case I do add some salt to the melted fat spread on the bird.

Another brining technique is outlined in the flattering “Yelp” review a farm shopper wrote.

Shannon Hayes, a farmer/author from upstate NY, also has GREAT tips on pasture-raised turkeys. Check out her site and books!

Cooks Illustrated offers a 4-6 hour and a 12-14 hour brine. We have done both, and haven’t noticed any differences. We have noted that our pasture-raised birds tend to cook a bit faster. So keep an eye on the thermometer to avoid overcooking.

from Cooks Illustrated

1 turkey (12 to 22 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making

4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted (or poultry fat, or lard – all work great)

Dissolve 1 cup salt per gallon cold water for 4- to 6-hour brine or 1/2 cup salt per gallon cold water for 12- to 14-hour brine in large stockpot or clean bucket. Two gallons of water will be sufficient for most birds; larger birds may require three gallons. Add turkey and refrigerate for predetermined amount of time. (We often use a cooler and put it outside or somewhere fridge-like)

Turkey Breast Roasted, Sliced and ready to enjoy!

Before removing turkey from brine, adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees for 12- to 18-pound bird or 425 degrees for 18- to 22-pound bird. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil; set V-rack in large roasting pan.

Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure, and tuck wing tips behind back. Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons butter. Set turkey breast-side down on prepared V-rack; brush back with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Roast 45 minutes for 12- to 18-pound bird or 1 hour for 18- to 22-pound bird.

Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat); reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees if roasting 18- to 22-pound bird. Using clean potholders or kitchen towels, rotate turkey breast-side up; continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes longer for 12- to 15-pound bird, about 1 1/4 hours for 15- to 18-pound bird, or about 2 hours longer for 18- to 22-pound bird. Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 30 minutes (or up to 40 minutes for 18- to 22-pound bird). Carve and serve.

By Laura | Posted in Eating from the Farm: Cooking Ideas | Tagged Thanksgiving, turkey | Comments Off

Community Farm Day: Saturday Oct 21st

October 17, 2023 – 12:03 pm

We hope you can join us at the Farm on October 21^st to enjoy the farm ecosystem and community!

What: During our Community Farm Day there will be tours and tastings, demos and dialogue, sensory walks and stimulating talks, recipe cards and conversations while preparing food together, along with art to admire and citizen/farmer science, ancient practices and open spaces to explore and cozy nooks too.
Check out the full schedule!

When: Saturday October 21^st 10 am – 2 pm

How: Green Mountain Girls Farm is fortunate and thrilled to be hosting the 3^rd in the 4-farm series of events in partnership with New Perennials who secured funding from USDA and Senator Bernie Sanders. The event and its activities are all free to farm visitors. Our farmstand will also be open for shopping. Please leave your dogs at home, Thanks! Carpooling encouraged! (Northfield park & ride is close by)

RSVP here! or Share the Facebook Event

Why: We all want to celebrate Vermont agriculture at neighborhood farms and make sure folks know about the farmstands and how to access our cherished working landscape as well as shopping options available year round from all the farms tucked away in our hills and valleys.

Speakers, Activities & Workshops include:

Regenerative Farm Tours, Recipe Sharing & Tastings, Cider Pressing, Fifth Quarter Exploration, Open Farmstand, BIPOC Affinity Space, Climate Farmer Art Exhibit

Sensory Walk with José Alejandro Rivera
Kimchi Making with Serena Kim
Fall Orchard Care with Nicko Rubin
Fifth Quarter Exploration with Green Mountain Girls Farm Team and Samantha Langevin
Vermont Ripsower Demo with Abe Collins

The 4 Farm (for Farms) series: We wish we could go to all 4! Maybe you can? Times and details for the other events in the series Does’ Leap Oct 14^th, Larson Farm October 15^th and Maple Wind Farm October 22^nd.

Questions….

Is the Event Free?

Yes! Thanks to funding from USDA and Senator Bernie Sanders the event and its activities are all free to farm visitors. Our farmstand will also be open for shopping.

Can I bring my dog?

No. Please leave your dog at home as dogs in a farm environment with livestock can be challenging.

Is it Kid Friendly?

Absolutely — Great activities for ALL ages!

Will there be food?

Yes. There will be various cooking demos & learning opprortunities with samples AND our farmstand will be open for shopping with some ready eat items as well as food to take home.

Is the event rain or shine?

YES! Fortunately, Many of the activies will be undercover in our barns, farmstand, hoophouse or farmhouse Kitchen but bring a raincoat for farm tours.

By Laura | Posted in Farm Events, Stories from the Farm | Comments Off

Roast Pork in Milk

October 7, 2023 – 1:09 pm

adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Donna Farley introduced us to this delicious tradition of slow cooking pork in milk. There are several variations on this Italian classic, so there seems to be some flexibility. Key – pork roast, milk, slow cook and then enjoy with the sauce.

A useful tip from the website: “Cooking meat in milk is common throughout north Italy because it results in moist meat and a wonderfully rich and flavorful sauce. The milk transforms during the cooking from liquid to yogurt-like clusters which form a rich brown sauce…if you give it a good whisk over the heat just before you are ready to serve, it helps to break up the sauce slightly, giving it a smoother texture.–Katie Caldesi

Ingredients

3-4 pound pork loin roast, shoulder or butt roast
Salt
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil or other good fat
3 cups whole milk

Directions

Score the fat on the roast and season with salt.

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or flameproof casserole. Lower the pork into the pan and sear until the skin is crisp and a rich golden color, turning it every few minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to ensure all the edges are golden.

Reduce the heat slightly and add the milk to the pan or casserole very, very slowly so it doesn’t bubble up too much. Gradually bring it to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pan. Let the pork cook like this for 2 hours, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. The pork will be tender but not fall-apart tender.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Leave the pan with the cooking liquid on the stovetop. Skim most of the fat from the surface of the juices, then whisk the remaining cooking liquid to break up the chunks of coagulated milk a little. It won’t be pretty, but that’s okay.

Carve the meat and place the pork slices on a warm plate. Pour the pan sauce over the pork and serve. (If you find upon slicing the pork that you’ve undercooked it, slip the pork slices and sauce in an oven cranked to 350°F(176°C) and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.)

By Laura | Posted in Eating from the Farm: Cooking Ideas | Tagged milk, pork roast | Comments Off

Sharing the Farm: In person & Virtually!

October 7, 2023 – 12:51 pm

We hope you can join us on the farm for our Community Farm Day to enjoy the farm ecosystem and community!

RSVPs encouraged. No dogs please.

When: Saturday October 21^st 10 am – 2 pm

Community Farm Day Activities: Regenerative Farm Tours, Recipe Sharing & Tastings, Cider Pressing, Fifth Quarter Exploration, Open Farmstand, BIPOC Affinity Space, Climate Farmer Art Exhibit
Thanks to the following special guests offering hands on workshops. (Timing for each coming soon, see event details!)

Sensory Walk with José Alejandro Rivera
Kimchi Making with Serena Kim
Fall Orchard Care with Nicko Rubin
Fifth Quarter Exploration with Green Mountain Girls Farm Team and Samantha Langevin
Vermont Ripsower Demo with Abe Collins

Tour guests from New Jersey enjoying edible flowers

How: Green Mountain Girls Farm is fortunate and thrilled to be hosting the 3^rd in the 4-farm series of events in partnership with New Perennials. The event and its activities are all free to farm visitors thanks funding from USDA and Senator Bernie Sanders. Our farmstand will also be open for shopping. Please leave your dogs at home, Thanks!

The 4 Farm (for Farms) series: We wish we could go to all 4 Community Farm Days! Maybe you can? Times and details for the other events in the series Does’ Leap Oct 14^th, Larson October 15^th and Maple Wind October 22^nd.

5 with a Farmer

Everyone everywhere can enjoy a fresh set of sights, sounds and sentiments from the farm via our “Five with a Farmer” short video.

Kiss the Ground provides a valuable, deep and delightful collection of resources for all of us, including their new feature film, Common Ground, which is previewing in Vermont following our Community Farm Day as part of the Farm-to-Film Fest. Join us there Too!

Until then, hopefully the “5 with a Farmer” glimpse of our farm ecosystem inspires.

After all, …

…How farmers farm and how eaters eat matters!

By Laura | Posted in Stories from the Farm, Uncategorized | Tagged agritourism, farm event, farm films, farm tours, farmstand, kiss the ground, open farm, workshop | Comments Off

Pasture Improvement…

June 29, 2023 – 1:56 pm

Sometimes what one thinks is a small(ish) project is really a solid step towards something bigger, which also means it takes many hands, tools, vehicles & …t-i-m-e!

Thanks to all our teammates, partners & contractors who helped us close this chapter of pasture improvement in the past 2 weeks, expanding where great forage can grow for our grazing sheep and allowing the ripsower (more on that later) to influence more parts of our pasture.

It started with the goal of getting a few mature and over-mature evergreens out of two pastures, roots and all. Before they came down on their own and to allow us to send the ripsower to more spots to help our pasture plants develop deep roots.

So many shout-outs are needed. Gary Davis & “Ex”, his excavator, removed 4 sizable evergreens & a poplar, roots & all. And when you are pulling out trees in Vermont, you tend to also find some very large rocks, boulders even, so those were also loaded into our dump tractor for better use elsewhere.

Amy, Mari & Tyler took down some poplars & sad grey birch and readied them for the chipping team.

Snapping Turtle manouevered all of those trees into their machines and turned them into incredible chip, which will feed so many other projects (base of every compost pile, winter bedded packs in both barns, mulching for orchard and gardens), finishing the last bits just before another downpour.

Mary, Amy & Sylvia helped heal the wounds created by pulling the trees out with amendments, compost, innoculated seed and mulch.

Tucking them all in before this last multiday rain affair.

Our Antonio Carraro fleet (and even the gator) supported all along the way. We always love the agility of Snoopy, the dump tractor (yes, it also goes to market!) and little Antonio 1 got new found respect with its abilty to pull some hefty hitches into place for chipping.

The results, nicely covered ground and new sprouts that will feed our livestock into the future.

And renewed connection with talented mates integral to helping us harness sun, rain and our living soils to grow food for you!

By Laura | Posted in Stories from the Farm | Tagged farmers, pasture, ripsower | Comments Off

At the Farmstand: June 28-July 1

June 28, 2023 – 3:12 pm

Fresh Veggies, great meats, jams, milk, pizzas…set yourself up for great summer meals & grilling for the 4th of July!

New on offer, our own grass-fed, organically managed lamb and new pork sausages!

Our Farmstand is open Wed – Sat and you can shop from us via the online Northfield Farmers Market or (most weeks) in person on Tuesdays 3-6 pm at the Northfield Farmers Market.

Stay tuned (including watch for posts on facebook & Instagram) for what veggies we will have each week. We will update as they get harvested!