Bringing in the harvest with Dartmouth farmstands
Once the weather starts to cool, the thought of hot apple cider, jack-o-lanterns and squash at dinner come to mind. Dartmouth is filled with farm stands to keep in the autumn mood and support local businesses.
All the farmers in the community agree that local farms are vital, all for different reasons.
“You eat three meals a day, don’t you?” prompted Brian Medeiros of Dartmouth Orchards.
Land preservation, specifically preserving open space, is a common reason farmers feel that farms are important. A couple of farm owners specifically mentioned having concerns over the proposed housing projects, including one at 498 Old Westport Road.
Using land to grow food for the local community is beneficial for the environment, as shipping food from far away takes a lot of fuel. Small-scale farming can be less detrimental than large-scale farms and companies.
“I think supporting local businesses is really important to lift up your local economy and community,” said Caroline Reusch, a worker at The King Farm who studied environmental science, “I think it has a slightly less detrimental impact overall on the environment.”
Supporting small and local businesses is also a reason why farms are important in the Dartmouth community. Many farms do not just sell out of farm stands, but in local stores such as Davoll’s and Farm and Coast.
“Where is your food coming from?” asked Bill Coutu of Paskamansett Farms, “...you can go [to local farms] and see where your food’s come from.”
One of the farmers at Flying Carrot Farm, Tony Wood, shared how during the Covid pandemic, people would come to the farm for fresh produce to support community members during the difficult time.
There are a lot of organizations that help support local farmers. Dartmouth is a Right to Farm community, which means that zoned farms can bypass “nuisance” laws to keep the area a farming community.
Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership partners farmers with the community by having paid memberships. The membership money is paid in the spring and goes to farmers so that they can buy seeds and materials, and members can get free produce during the season. Mutliple farms stands also accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program.
Local farm stands have started stocking fall essentials such as pumpkins and gourds, just in time for the cool weather. All of the stands are unique.
“Things just taste better,” said Reusch about locally grown food, “And that’s what a lot of our customers say when they come in.”
Photos by Kat Sheridan
Flying Carrot Farm
Flying Carrot Farm offers fresh eggs and all parts of the chicken meat. They also have an array of produce such as eggplants, peppers, spinach and more. The farm is owned by Wood and Susan Murray. Both work outside of the farm, Wood at an oyster farm and Murrary at Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program are accepted. The farm is located at 607 Elm Street and is open on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Silverbrook Farms
Silverbrook Farms is a self-serve farm stand in a small shed in front of the farm. They have a variety of seasonal produce including corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, and gourds. They have ribbons from the Grange Fair hanging on the walls. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program are accepted. The farm stand is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday through Sunday, and is located at 592 Chase Road.
Dartmouth Orchards
Dartmouth Orchards has been around for almost 100 years offering fresh apples, mums and pumpkins for autumn. Medeiros’ dogs Milo and Bailey greet customers as customers decide between jams and varieties of apples. This is the last orchard in Dartmouth, and is located at 515 Old Westport Road. It is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the week.
Paskamansett Farms
Paskamansett Farms has a self-serve raw milk stand, and serves Gifford’s ice cream. The farm started off as a produce and flower farm, but Coutu’s son became interested in cows and eventually they became a dairy farm instead. Coutu tests all the milk for quality and safety before selling it. For autumn, the farm is selling pumpkins that were grown by another local farmer. The farm is located at 742 Tucker Road and is open every day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The King Farm
The King Farm shares a space with Brix Bounty Farm. They have produce, pumpkin picking and pick-your-own dahlias. They have a grocery store of sorts with dairy, meats and processed goods like breads and syrups. These goods come from all around New England. Guests may even be able to say hi to Reusch’s dog, Nissa. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program are accepted. They are located at 449 Bakersville Road and are open everyday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Brix Bounty Farm
The Brix Bounty Farm shares space with The Slocum King Farm. Brix Bounty is self-serve and offers seasonal produce such as squash, okra and zucchini. There is a large variety of fresh herbs to choose from like basil, cilantro and dill. They are located at 449 Bakersville Road and are open everyday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Photo by Leighah Beausoleil
Round the Bend Farm
Round the Bend Farm has a large variety of goods for the season like pumpkins, squash, kale. meats and potatoes. They also have goods like honeys, teas, lip balms, granolas and baked goods. They sell online with one pick-up day a month, their open farm day, this month’s being Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program are accepted. During the open farm day they have workshops, tours and lunch. They are located at 92 Allens Neck Road.
Tupelo Hill Farm
Tupelo Hill Farm is a self-serve farm stand in a shed next to the farm itself. They have produce such as gourds, pumpkins, squash and beets. They also have beef products from their farm and chicken and eggs from another local farm. There is fresh honey and homemade bird houses for sale. The farm stand is located at 358 Slades Corner Road.
John George Farm
John George Farm has lots of produce including pumpkins, squash, peppers, and summer fruits like melons and berries. Almost all of the vegetables are grown on site, besides a couple specialty ones. They have fresh-baked pies in a variety of flavors like caramel apple and key lime. They also have an ice cream stand and restaurant. The farm stand is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The ice cream stand is open Monday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. The kitchen is open Wednesday through Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The farm is located at 291 Slocum Road.
Source: Copicut Farms
Copicut Farm
Copicut Farm has poultry and eggs, pork and lamb. The animals are pasture raised, and fed either the majority or all grass and legumes. The farm states that the meats are healthier than store-bought because they slaughter their poultry on site. Copicut Farm sells at farmers markets, their online website and at their farmstand located at 11 Copicut Road. They are open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
