Last week, as part of the Upper Valley CRAFT program Valley Food & Farm facilitates, I got to tour 4 Corners Farm in Newbury, Vermont. Bob and Kim Gray along with 2 of their children run the 220 acre diversified farm that includes veggies, berries, flowers, dairy, and meat. The first things you notice when you drive onto their road are how beautiful the farm is and how every bit of space is being creatively put to use.
There are greenhouses tucked into every corner and perched on most of the hills. And one particular terrace is quite the sight – three extremely long (100 yards) high tunnels that seem to float with the rolling hill because they are so long. The tunnels are called Haygrove High Tunnels and they were designed by a British farm to help protect tender fruit and vegetables from the increasingly erratic weather events that are becoming more and more frequent. Bob Gray traveled to England to see the tunnels in action and upon returning added 3 of these innovative tunnels to the farm.
Our tour guide on this lovely evening was Bob’s son Charlie, who returned to work the farm with his parents and siblings after serving in the Marines. Charlie planned an amazing tour of the farm for us (including a wagon ride!) with the highlight being Charlie’s pigs. Charlie added pigs to the farm when he returned and is blazing the trail for other Vermont pig farmers by learning about and experimenting with artificial insemination in swine reproduction. Like father, like son.
We concluded the tour at their farmstand – which was bustling with last-minute shoppers and full with baskets of just harvested produce, quarts of strawberries, fresh milk from their herd of Jersey cows, and yogurt and cheese made from the farm’s milk. Aside from a few small off-farm sales channels, all of 4 Corners farm sales are through this vibrant farmstand.
Take a ride to Newbury and visit 4 Corners Farm for pick-your-own berries, fresh picked fruit & veggies, raw milk, yogurt, cheese, and so much more.