Food you can trust. An opportunity to see sustainable farming in action. Learning which New England farms and small businesses you’re supporting when you buy local. Oh, and the chance to pet a baby pig or lamb. Who wouldn’t want to check this out?
It’s closer than you think. A 15-minute ride from the Seacoast, Vernon Family Farm in Newfields awaits. Owners Jeremiah and Nicole Vernon bought their 33-acre farm in 2014. As a first-generation, owner-operated livestock farm, the couple pasture-raises their own chickens—10,000 each year! All meat is processed and packaged offsite at USDA facilities before landing back on their family-run store’s shelves, located on the grounds in a charming and historic blacksmith shop.
Vernon Family Farm partners with more than 50 farmers and small businesses from around New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont to keep the farm store supplied with in-season, non-GMO, locally-grown products. While they carry a variety of partner products, from meat and produce to dairy, seafood, sauces and spices, the highlight of their store—and their entire farming operation—is their poultry enterprise.
“From chick to chicken to plate, we manage it all right here,” says Jeremiah. “While we work with our partners for other cuts of meat at times, or to purchase cows, sheep, and pigs that we then pasture, our poultry operation is my responsibility, 100%.”
Jeremiah, born and raised in New Hampshire with farms all around him and family roots that go back 10 generations, is the engine driving field operations. He oversees all livestock, from feed and vaccinations to occasional births. In addition to their thriving poultry operation, he manages care for roughly 50 each of pigs and sheep that are pasture-raised, supplemented by non-GMO grain.
The farm store is open year-round and packed with locally-sourced goodies. Nicole manages store operations, partner ordering, marketing and website presence, and social media. If Jeremiah is the engine, Nicole is the face of Vernon Family Farm. Her husband praises her ability to connect with customers. “Nicole knows everyone by name. Truly, she remembers each person, along with their shopping preferences.”
This personalized attention and investment in relationship-building is what makes shopping at the farm store a win-win. “The food we sell is what our own family eats,” Nicole says, referring not only to her and Jeremiah but their young daughters Magnolia, Indigo, and Pingree. “I can speak honestly about our offerings and give relevant recommendations that our customers can trust.”
The store has become a one-stop shop for food with an intentional focus that champions local agriculture. Pair that with their popular agritourism events, and the farm has become what the Vernons call “an inclusive third space.” A home away from home that offers great food, fellowship, and fun.
The farm’s agritourism events run May through October, typically Friday or Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. More information, along with an easy way to buy tickets, is available on the website. And while fresh local food and live music may be the initial draw, once there, attendees discover a delightful sensory experience. Children and adults alike can wander and smell wildflowers in a meadow. Pet sheep, lambs, and pigs. Hear the sounds of nature and a working farm, blending with local musicians on-stage. And you may just see your neighbor or family doctor in the crowd. Grab a seat at a picnic table, dig into delicious farm-to-table fare, tap your feet to music wafting on a breeze, and enjoy the warm sense of community on an equally warm evening. For this is what the Vernons mean by third space.
Learn more about the farm’s mission, store, events, and how to purchase meat boxes at their website. The farm also offers a debit-style CSA (community sponsored agriculture) membership, where members buy with pre-purchased points. A new feature to the program? Customers can choose to donate unused cash on their cards to community members in need. Vernon Family Farm also donates unused produce to local food pantries weekly.
Be sure to add the farm to one of your upcoming weekend—or weekday!—travel plans. The “Face” and the “Engine” look forward to showing you around.
Quote: "From chick to chicken to plate, we manage it all right here."