Yesterday, I visited Daisy Hill Farms in Mount Kisko, NY for the opening day of its twelfth season. As Siri informed me that my destination was “0.5 miles ahead, on the right,” the sight of a field of elegant creatures greeted my eyes – cows and goats, perhaps? (for these have been the animals we’ve seen at the other farms throughout the semester, most of which were involved in the dairy industry). Nay, they were horses! As I would find out later, owner and proprietor, Gwenn Brant, originally intended to turn the 74-acre horse-racing farm (known as Tanrackin Farm) into the humble abode of retired horses from the area. However, after her small (recreational) garden produced a yield of tomatoes and cucumbers SO bountiful that she was forced to sell the surplus to local restaurants, she used her hotel-management degree and executive experience, along with the help of the Cardona family (residents of the property during its purchase in 2001, and now), to convert the business into the farm, farmstand, and farmers market that it is today.
Daisy Hill Farm Stand
Since selling 67 acres in 2010, both Brant and the Cardonas (Natalia Perez, co-manager, and her parents Amador and Marta) have focused their energy into making the remaining 7 acres, all farm land, as efficient as possible. After a quick jaunt in the fields, (both grazing fields and crop fields) I traipsed to the store. It used to be just a bucket of produce sold off a table, but now it fills up a spacious 6-stable barn. Daisy Hill Farms offers a variety of products, all sold at this store, which is right on the farm itself. Their vegetables are all grown organically (although not certified, Brant affirms that they never need to spray their produce with pesticides or growing aids because of the rich soil), beginning in the hoop house made by Amador, and eventually ending up in the field where they are harvested. What they cannot grow on the farm, they source from local farmers weekly. During my visit, their only produce was leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, and swiss chard), but once deeper into the season, their harvest will encompass everything from onions and other root plants, to eggplants, to squash. Their most successful product by far, is their tomatoes, of which they have eight varieties and over 1000 plants. Other than fresh produce, Daisy Hill Farms also offers eggs from the chickens of Brant’s 300-member flock, as well as value-added products, such as salsa, empanadas, pies, cookies and other baked goods, all made by Marta’s expertise.
The Store!
Something about Daisy Hill Farms that is different from the other places we’ve visited this semester, is their overt generosity to other local farms and vendors. Besides selling their own produce to local restaurants and Food Banks, they sell meats from Hemlock Hill, honey pollen from Pine Hill Farm, maple sugar from Frasiers Sugar Shack, soda from Glens Falls, yogurts and butters from Cowbella, and even gluten free baked goods from Three Dog Bakery in Briarcliff, offering an outlet for each in an area extremely interested in local food, and where they might not otherwise be able to provide business.
Even if you are not interested in purchasing any of their products (although you should be), Daisy Hill Farms offers entertainment for young and old alike: you can feed, pet and frolic with any of the pigs, sheep and bunnies they have! And you can do this any time from May to November, on any Thursday from 9-2, Friday from 9-6, Saturday from 9-5 or Sunday from 10-4. Better than that (if possible), you can check out their full range of products by clicking on this link!