Saturday was perfect weather for a visit to the farmer’s market at Borough Hall. Being the weekend (yes, what is a weekend?) and beautiful out, more people were out and about than in recent weeks. But at the farmer’s market, calm and order ruled the day. Shoppers were advised to keep a distance and to not touch any of the goods.
There were chalked signs on the ground marking the spots for shoppers to stand in line. There was fresh air and fresh produce, and a feeling that maybe we’ll get through this afterall. Just look at this expert social distancing.
And business was hopping. By 12:30 p.m., Stone & Thistle Farm, which brings down organic meats from 170 miles north in East Meredith, NY, was sold out of every pound of meat. Savannah, pictured below, spoke to the blog, from a safe distance of course.
Are you a member of the Warren family that owns Stone & Thistle Farm?
I’m engaged to one of the sons and I work at the family farm. Four to five of us work on the farm.
How has business been?
Business has been good. We usually bring down 400-500 lbs of meats to each market. We’re already sold out for the day. Since this crisis began, many people started shifting from grocery stores to farmers market, so we’ve been selling out quicker. More people are cooking at home, so that has something to do with it too.
Were you nervous about coming down from upstate to the epicenter of the Covid 19 crisis?
We were nervous at the beginning. But we take all the precautions. We wear masks, use double gloves, and spray everything down. With the precautions, it calmed things down. The customers have been really nice about everything. They’ve been thanking us for coming down and that’s given us a sense of community. People are more willing to try new cuts of meat too, now that they’re cooking more.
Can you tell us more about your farm?
All of the animals on our farm are 100% pasture raised and grass fed. The chickens are all free range. We have 400 acres that we raise our animals on from birth. We practice rotational grazing. So different animals take turns grazing to help keep the ground healthy and reusable, rather than killing the soil. We also compost everything possible, so it all goes back into the soil. Pasture raising produces better tasting meat. We’re very proud of the way we raise our animals. In normal times, we also have farm tours and Air BnB rentals.
Check out Stone & Thistle Farm’s website and on Instagram @stoneandthistle.
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