A F R E E GUIDE TO LOCAL FARM FRESH FOOD Food & Farm Guide 2019 A VIBRANT PART OF THE NEW ENGLAND LANDSCAPE DIRECTOR’S NOTE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to our esteemed legislators for To our farms, restaurants, grocers, wholesalers and farm supporting Agriculture across the State supporters – thank you for all you do to impact our local food system. Through our collective efforts, Worcester Senator Harriette Chandler CONCORD DOVER County holds the esteemed ranking as sixth in the entire Senator James Eldridge nation fordirect farm to consumer sales. Our network Senator Ryan Fattman relationships, strong local markets and proximity of Senator Jennifer Flanagan ‘growers’ and ‘eaters’ provide opportunities which are Senator Anne Gobi uniquely our own as members of this region. Senator Michael Moore Representative Donald Berthiaume I am eager to continue our organization’s growth to benefit Representative Michael Soter all farms in our district through the expansion of market NORTH Representative Daniel Donahue ANDOVER opportunities, educational resources and consumer FITCHBURG Representative Peter Durant MIDDLETON outreach events. If you have a need, now is the time to SPRINGFIELD Representative Kimberly Ferguson (LIBERTY ST.) SOUTH HADLEY get involved, this community is here for you. HOLDEN CONCORD Representative Paul Frost NORTHBOROUGH I appreciate every friend and relationship built during Representative Stephen Hay LUDLOW my role as director for this organization. I look forward Representative Natalie Higgins PALMER Representative Hannah Kane WESTFIELD RANDOLPH to working with you closely in 2019. AGAWAM MILLIS Representative Mary Keefe EAST LONGMEADOW CANTON Sincerely, Representative David LeBoeuf BELLINGHAM WALPOLE SPRINGFIELD PEMBROKE Representative John Mahoney (ISLAND POND RD.) Representative Joseph McKenna Representative David Muradian VERNON GREENVILLE Representative Brian Murray Representative Harold Naughton FALL MACKENZIE MAY FAIRHAVEN Representative James O’Day RIVER Executive Director Central Mass Grown Representative Jonathan Zlotnik Congressman Jim McGovern Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors who volunteer their time to uphold our mission for the benefit of all who support farming in Central Mass. central mass grown board of directors Halley Stillman Sheri Bean Kate Gervais Joanie Walker Sheryl Vailette Bruce Hopper Maleah Gustafson Lynn Hartman Andre Tougas Trish Settles Susan Phinney Sheila Cuddy Whitney DeCiccio Rocky’s is New England’s hardware store for: Thank you to the Commissioner of Agriculture John Lebeaux and the entire team at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for their support of our farmers and our Buy Local organization. 2 CENTRAL MASS GROWN FARM + FOOD GUIDE rockys.com 1811043_ROCKYS-CentralMassGrownAd.indd 1 12/7/18 9:28 AM RESTAURANT FEATURE FARM + FOOD GUIDE ARMSBY ABBEY Alec Lopez and Sherri Sadowski TABLE OF CONTENTS opened Armsby Abbey in 2008 with a commitment to honest and responsible sourcing of the highest quality ingredients. To this husband and wife team, that meant cultivating Director’s Note 01 strong relationships directly with their local farmers. Acknowledgements 01 When Alec and Sherri first visited Armsby Abbey Restaurant Feature 03 Mike Berberian, of Berberian’s Farm Farm Feature Walnut Lane Farm 04 in Northborough, they shared with him their vision to using all local Event Spotlight Farm Tour 2018 07 produce and warned that they would Supporting Organization Spotlight need to buy large amounts of freshly harvested produce, consistently. An Westminster Farmers Market 10 experienced farmer, this was not the Member Directory 12 first restaurant Mike had heard this CREDIT: BRIAN SAMUELS, 2017 from, nor was he intent on growing or Local Farm + Food Guide 14 harvesting anything for one specific the crew often visits Tougas Farm throughout the year. In order to turn Farms 15 restaurant; especially a new one, on North Main St, in Worcester. Mike in Northborough to harvest the the responsibly raised ingredients Food 35 encouraged the pair to buy what they strawberries, peaches, blackberries into delicious and relevant menu and other fruits they need. The fruits items for their guests, the kitchen Farmers Markets in Central MA 23 needed from the farm stand and come again any time. As evident by their are used fresh or processed by the staff must be highly talented and Farm + Food Regional Map 24 relationship today, they did go back. Armsby kitchen to preserve the local knowledgeable. Particular care is Over the past eleven years Armsby flavor for use throughout the year. taken to minimize food waste and What Grows When 49 maximize all components of their Abbey has picked up a wide variety As Armsby and their needs have produce and proteins from broccoli of freshly harvested produce from grown, thankfully, so have their stalks to peach pits, bones to skin. Berberian’s 3-4 times per week during distribution networks. Local buying The extremely talented kitchen staff the growing season. Mike’s production has become more simplified in large consistently crafts dishes to surprise volumes have been directly impacted part thanks to a Worcester County and delight their guests, peers and by this restaurant relationship. food hub, Lettuce Be Local. Owner friends alike. Find up-to-date member listings, events, resources and more on our website. Unsuspectingly impacted were Mike’s Lynn Cheney serves as the conduit for levels of herb production, specifically food and information between area For Alec, Sherri and the entire team CENTRALMASSGROWN.ORG rosemary and chives, not considered farms and food conscious restaurants at Armsby Abbey their sense of a high demand product by the average such as Armsby Abbey. Lynn and responsibility doesn’t end with the farm stand consumer, the restaurant’s her team deliver local food to the purchasing of ingredients. It ends needs provided a market to grow restaurant each week throughout the with the satisfaction in knowing their specialty herbs, in large quantities. year ranging from flour and grains guests respect, enjoy and appreciate Berberian’s is not the only farm you from Four Star Farm to butternut all of the hard work along the chain, will find on the ever-changing menu squash and carrots from Winter Moon beginning with the farmer. Roots. Neither the need or supply are at Armsby, they work with dozens of CONTACT less in the cold winter months. local growers throughout the year to Sherri Sadowski ArmsbyAbbey.com gather the highest quality produce and Seasonality can not only be seen, (508) 795-1012 proteins for their menus. On some but also tasted with a visit to Armsby [email protected] occasions this leads the Armsby team Abbey. Roughly 90 percent of their 144 Main St Worcester MA straight into the fields and orchards Open 7 days per week serving lunch menu offerings are sourced locally, and dinner M-F & brunch and dinner themselves. In the summer months compelling drastic menu changes on Saturday and Sundays. 4 CENTRAL MASS GROWN FARM + FOOD GUIDE FARM FEATURE WALNUT LANE FARM Walnut Lane is a diversified family farm located in Dudley,operated by Jim and Krisanne Koebke and their sons Gus, Curtis and Nolan. The Farm Festivals • Pick Your Own farm has been in their family since Workshops & More 1910; Jim is the fourth generation to work the land. When the Follow us on Facebook for up to date events! farm began in the early nineteen hundreds they produced mostly turkeys and potatoes, and the sales were conducted within the local community. As agriculture changed in the 1940’s the Koebke’s added wholesale dairy and their other products took a back seat. Dairy The Keobke’s manage the farm as one of their staple offerings. The became the family’s main focus until a family, each of the three boys Keobke’s also offer specialized meat 2017 when they, again, decided to participate in the business. Initially, packages tailored to family size of make a change. they helped their parents with the event needs and a CSA program calf and chicken chores, as the oldest where their beef, pork, chicken and In earlier decades the dairy industry boys have grown, they have assumed eggs are available for preorder and proved to be a reliable market with more responsibility on the farm. Their monthly pickup. reasonable profit margins. Over parents regard them as invaluable in One thing is clear about the Keobke time the price of milk has fallen the farms cropping and harvesting family; they have a deep passion far below production costs. While systems. Their middle son, Curtis, has for farming and their community. federal and state aid programs have integrated the farm business into his Transitioning from wholesale dairy been developed to bridge the gap formal education through a school to retail protein production is a between expenses and revenue, cooperative program. Their intent is to challenging task and the Keobke’s for many dairy producers this has build and maintain a successful farm are constantly working to navigate not been adequate to sustain their business which they boys can take over their path successfully. To connect dairy businesses. Some farmers one day if they decide farming is their with Jim, Krisanne and the kids visit have chosen to diversify their farm chosen career, just as their Father did their website, and please visit the offerings in order to offset the dairy before them. deficit; others have decided to leave farm! The Keobke’s enjoy building the dairy industry entirely. Changing their farming model relationships with the community, from wholesale to retail based has sharing their stories, and hearing For the Keobke’s, refocusing their also necessitated a change in how feedback from customers. Follow sales back to their local community and where they sell their goods. them on social media to get updates rather than the wholesale market Krisanne and Jim hold store hours from the farm! became their new farm plan. While at their farm on Saturday mornings Krisanne describes the decision as and throughout the week by CONTACT one of the most challenging they have Jim & Krisanne Keobke appointment.