Producer Profiles
This season, 41 local producers bring you a wide variety of foods grown, made, or preserved locally for consumption during the winter and early spring months.
The meat, poultry, and dairy products are from pastured - or grass-fed - animals, some of which are raised on organic farms (see sidebar on Why Grass Fed Is Best). Produce is from a certified organic farms and farms practicing Integrated Pest Management (fruit). Other products on our list are made by local businesses that use locally grown ingredients whenever they can. By supporting local farms and businesses we increase our food security and economically strengthen our region.
Bob Pierson -
Farm to City -
February 2, 2011
Click on one of the links below to learn more about our producers:
Bauman's
Bauman's started in 1892 when John W. Bauman purchased a cider press and operated it with the steam engine in his carriage manufacturing shop. Soon he began cooking apple butter for farmers of the community. They called it "lattwaerrick" in their Pennsylvania German dialect. He used the apple butter recipe his wife had received from her Schwenkfelder ancestors, who had settled in southeastern Pennsylvania alongside John's Mennonite forefathers.
Before long John Bauman's apple butter business had replaced his carriage shop. As satisfied customers spread the word the business has continued to grow since the turn of the century.
Now in the third generation Bauman's Apple Butter Factory is still a family operation in the Nineteenth Century village of Sassamansville in upper Montgomery County. The founder's grandson, Harvey, along with his wife, Kathy, and his mother, Ruth, keep the tradition going. With old-fashioned goodness and the best of flavor, their products are free of additives or preservatives.
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Birchrun Hills Farm
Ken and Sue Miller have been dairy farmers near Chester Springs for over 25 years. Over the past few years, Sue Miller began studying artisanal cheesemaking and producing several cheeses aged from her cows’ raw milk. The creamy Birchrun Blue has been especially well-received. For more information on the Millers’ dairy farm, see a 2007 article in The Bulletin.
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CM - Countrytime Farm
Paul and Ember Crivellaro raise their hogs feeding them natural grain in a happily humane setting. All of their pork products are free of antibiotics, growth hormones, preservatives and MSG.
www.countrytimefarm.com
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CM - Emerick's Maple Products
In the mountains of Somerset County, PA the Emerick family taps over 4,000 trees each year to produce their maple syrup. Ed & Matthew Emerick's maple syrup is a perennial blue ribbon winner at the Pa Maple Syrup Festival.
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CM - Fresh Tofu Inc.
Fresh Tofu Inc. of Allentown Pennsylvania, has been supplying the east coast with organic tofu and other soyfood products since 1984. Through direct distribution and weekly delivery, they are able to provide customers with the freshest, finest soyfood products available.
Their Tofu is certified organic by "QAI", insuring no genetic modifications.
Their Allentown plant is under the Kosher supervision of Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer of Young Israel of West Hempstead.
All of their products are vegan. No preservatives are ever used in their processing.
http://www.freshtofu.com/
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CM - Koch's Turkey Farm
Koch's turkeys are antibiotic free and have free range access to outdoor areas that provide natural sunlight and fresh air.
Their turkeys meet the Certified Humane® guidelines and Farm Animal Welfare Standards for Turkeys.
In addition to meeting these guidelines, Koch’s scored a 100% on the Turkey Welfare and Humane practices independent audit by Steritech. For More information go to www.CertifiedHumane.org.
www.kochsturkey.com/
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Cobblestone Krautery
Unique sauerkrauts made in Philadelphia with local ingredients.
For more information visit:
https://sites.google.com/site/cobblestonekrautery/home
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Forrest Acres Farm
Forrest Acres Farm is located in Gap PA (Lancaster County). Tom Forrest and his young family raise animals on pasture for market. Tom also comes to several markets in Philadelphia and Swarthmore in his long recreation vehicle outfitted as a butcher shop. Tom is also very resourceful in finding interesting products from his neighbors to sell at the markets. For Winter Harvest Tom brings his own pork cuts and meat products from other farms including CL Bison, Zooks Farm, and Spring Water Farm.
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Good Spoon Seasonal Foods
Good Spoon is a Philadelphia-based brand specializing in wholesome, tasty soups and stews. All Good Spoon products are made from scratch using fresh, locally-sourced seasonal ingredients -- no mixes, no funky fillers or preservatives, just real, delicious foods made naturally and honestly.
By partnering with area farmers to source as many local and organic ingredients as possible, chef/owner Kate is able to create a variety of hearty yet healthful soups for all seasons. In addition to featuring locally-grown seasonal vegetables in each recipe, Good Spoon is also proud to use only local and sustainably-raised animal products, including local grass-fed beef and dairy and local pasture-raised poultry.
For more information, visit www.goodspoonfoods.com.
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Hillacres Pride
Hillacres
Pride was established in 2003 as an extension of their family farm, Hillacres Jersey. They began by producing aged cheeses made from 100%
Jersey cow milk from our own herd, such as Colby & Cheddar. In 2009, they added pasteurized cheese their line, including ricotta, mozzarella and fromage.
All of their meats, cheeses and milk come from pastured animals, and do not receive any antibiotics or growth hormones.
The family farm is home to three generations of the Arrowsmith family, who provide the majority of the labor for the farm. The forage that the cows eat is grown on the farm and the cows are milked twice daily.
Hillacres Pride was born of the idea of providing the next generation an opportunity to experience the traditions of the family operation.
For more information visit: www.hillacrespride.com
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John & Kira's Chocolates
John and Kira's Jubilee Chocolates is a company based in Northeast Philadelphia that combines organic cream from local family farms with other sustainably grown ingredients to make high quality chocolates. Articles on these fine chocolates have appeared in the New York Times and as the cover story in the February 2003 Gourmet Magazine. John and Kira are excited to continue to grow and promote their ideals at the same time: making good food, good fun, and a great community. Visit their website for more information on the company.
The cream used is from Amish farms in Lancaster County, the raspberries and lemon grass from Green Meadows Farm, and the mint is grown by students at the University City High School in Philadelphia. Assortments include Glen's Raspberry (with dark chocolate), Glen's Strawberry (with milk chocolate), Drew Elementary Garden Mint, Pistachio (with white chocolate and hints of cinnamon), Lavender Honey (with local honey and milk chocolate), Coffee Whiskey, Bergamot (Earl Gray tea, fresh orange oil, and dark chocolate), and Starry Night (with spice star anise).The chocolates contain no artificial flavors or preservatives. These chocolates are offered in December and February.
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Kauffman's Fruit Farm
Founder A. L. Kauffman planted the first trees in 1915. Now owned and operated by the 3rd, 4th, & 5th generations, the warehouse and retail store are located in the heart of "Pennsylvania Dutch Country", near the villages of Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse. Their orchards produce over 135 varieties of tree fruits on 100 acres. The orchards are constantly being replanted to keep up with changing consumer needs and the most efficient growing systems; Kauffman's is also growing test plots of apple trees using organic methods.
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Kingfisher Dairy Farm
This Lancaster County dairy farm offers raw milk from grass-fed Jersey cows. The Amish owner has been a dairy farmer for ten years and is assisted by his brother. The PA Department of Agriculture has inspected the farm and issued it a raw milk producer/handler license (No. 0181). This license allows Kingfisher Dairy to sell raw milk at the farm or through other retail outlets. Check out www.realmilk.org for the case in favor of raw milk.
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L&L Farms
Larry Miller and his wife raise chickens and grow broccoli and cauliflower on several fields for supermarkets. He keeps his chickens in a greenhouse on a fenced-in two-acre pasture. He has been farming on his current farm near Millersville in Lancaster County for the past 14 year. He used to grow watermelon and cantaloupe but crows ruined the crop before he could pick. Four years ago he started a flock of 50 chickens and now has about 700, replacing the melons. Now the crows are on his side: they scare off the hawks that would otherwise grab chickens.
In the summer the chickens spend daytime in the pasture. In winter, especially with snow on the ground the chickens stay in the greenhouse, bored. Larry supplements their foraging with medicine-free chicken feed (corn and soybeans) plus oyster shells and a feed preparation made from alfalfa. He notices that the eggs yolks are a deeper orange in the warm weather due to the grass and critters the chickens find in the pasture.
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Landisdale Farm
Located in Lebanon County, Landisdale Farm is a family-owned and -operated certified organic farm. They grow a full line of vegetables, including swiss chard, kale, lettuce, spinach, onions, garlic, zucchini and more, and raise grass-fed beef cattle. They sell to restaurants, buying clubs, stores, and individuals; they sell at several farmers' markets in the Philadelphia area and offer CSA shares each summer as well.
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Landisdale Meats
see Landisdale Produce
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LFF - Friendly Farm
Aaron and Anna Stoltzfus, and their children, operate 81 certified-organic acres near Gap, Lancaster County, PA. They raise chickens, ducks and dairy cows, producing broilers, eggs, cheese and meat. The Stoltzfus family farm has been certified organic since 1991 and was one of the first farms to do so in Lancaster County. They chose to use organic farming practices instead of conventional for the health of the people and the animals.
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LFF - Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms
In 1919 this farm was purchased by Arthur P. Yeatman as a dairy farm. In 1921 the first two mushroom houses were built, followed by three more in 1922 and 1923. The size of the farm and the number of mushroom houses continued to grow, and since the early 1970s all family members have been limited partners in a land holding partnership. The farm is in its fourth generation of operation. The mushrooms are grown to strict organic standards; weeds and pests are controlled using environmentally sound practices.
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LFF - Natural by Nature
Natural Dairy Products Corporation (NDPC) was started in 1994 by Ned MacArthur and his father Norman. Ned had quit milking cows a year earlier because of low milk prices and the frustration that there was no system by which farmers could sell milk organically.
Ned and Norman teamed up with four organic dairy farmers in Lancaster County, PA and created a whole system in which grass-fed organic milk could be produced, transported, processed and packaged, independent of the huge, volume based milk industry. Strict adherence to organic principles and a dedication to high quality were the rules, which Ned, Norman and the farmers demanded of each other.
http://www.natural-by-nature.com
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LFF - Patterson Farms
For three generations the Patterson family has been producing maple syrup; it was over 100 years ago that Grandpa Patterson first tapped his trees. The tradition was carried on by Father Patterson in much the same fashion as his father. They produced enough syrup for their own use and for trading for necessities. [For a description of Grandpa Patterson's methods, visit http://www.pattersonmaple.com/aboutus.htm ]
Much has changed in the third generation. The demand for syrup and its products has forced production to increase. Although they still tap the same trees, they also lease several other sugar bushes totaling over 30,000 taps. The sugarhouse is a busy place from November to April. After the sap stops and everything is cleaned up they continue the daily process of making various products from the syrup.
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Lindendale Farm
Located in the heart of Lancaster County’s richest farmland is Linden Dale Farm. A Mellinger family farm for seven generations, Linden Dale is now a permanently preserved farm. Currently Andrew and Mary and their six children farm the land and produce and market their artisan goat cheeses. The Mellinger family is milking sixty-five La Mancha goats that produce the milk for our five different fresh and aged handmade goat cheeses. The philosophy at Linden Dale farm is that the welfare and contentment of the goats comes first and through that the “girls” will provide healthy and wholesome milk to produce our delicious, unique cheeses. Our small family farm is used to provide homegrown feed and pasture for our goats. No hormones are supplemented. Integrated Pest Management is used on the cropland so the use of chemicals and fertilizers is minimized. The finest farmstead cheeses come from our happy goats.
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Livengood Family Farm
. . . And Produce at the Livengood Family Farm. Dwain & Audrey Livengood and Dwain’s parents, Earl and Joyce, bring a life-long love of growing wholesome foods to their friends in Philadelphia. Certified organic in 1995, the Livengood homestead has been harvesting vegetables since Earl was a youngster. The Livengood’s have shared the bounty of their Lancaster County farm with customers at several Philadelphia farmer’s markets, including the Reading Terminal Market, South & Passyunk Streets farmers market and the Faimount Ave. and 22nd Street farmers market. Dwain brought his love of beef cattle to the dinner table with 100% grass finished Black Angus beef. With the momma cows all owned by the Livengoods, total control of genetics, wellness and diet can be managed within their micro-climate. The Livengoods are pleased to offer the best of the winter’s harvest for your dining pleasure.
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Mamma's Homemade
Momma's Home Made produces Gourmet Applesauce that tastes like apple pie. Owner Daisy Smith and her family from Chesilhurst NJ make this apple sauce from locally grown apples in a commercial kitchen and occasionally sell it in Center Court, Reading Terminal Market and other commercial outlets.
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Maplehofe Dairy
Maplehofe Dairy is now in its second generation. Calvin Glick’s father started the farm in 1950 and opened the retail store in 1974. The farm now has about a hundred milking Holsteins. They focus primarily on milk, although they do produce several cultured products as well, buttermilk and butter. The cows graze as much as possible, on about 300 acres in Lancaster County.
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Margerum's
Margerum is a well known name in Philadelphia because the family had a stand in the Reading Terminal Market for several generations. The Margerums raise a wide variety of herbs and fruit, which they preserve by drying or canning. Noelle Margerum and her sister Carole combine the products from their two farms - in Gloucester County NJ and York County PA - for Winter Harvest members. All the ingredients from their farms are grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Margerums delivers to Winter Harvest for the third week of the month. They also sell their products at the South & 2nd, and Clark Park Farmers' Markets.
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Metropolitan Bakery
Wendy Born and James Barrett started Metropolitan Bakery in 1993. They now have six stores and deliver their breads to over 90 restaurants and gourmet markets. Metropolitan Bakery breads are known for their intense, earthy flavors, crackling crusts, and complex textures. Loaves are hand shaped and baked using ages old European techniques. In 1999 Wendy and James were named Small Business Persons of the Year by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Charles Pizzi, then President of the Chamber, summed up their approach to business: "Metropolitan bakery is a good example of how small businesses add to the economic vitality of our city. We were very impressed with all aspects of their business and community work - hiring people coming off welfare and providing training, marketable skills, and jobs is just as important to them as excellence in their craft."
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Misty Creek Dairy
The Misty Creek Dairy is owned and operated by Amos Miller, his wife, and children near Leola in Lancaster County. The dairy is permitted by the state Department of Agriculture to sell raw goat milk. Misty Creek Dairy's goal is to "feed and care for our goats so they can be happy, healthly and productive and in turn provide us all with a great tasting, nutritious, food-fresh, and raw whole goat milk."
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Momma's Home Made
For more information visit: www.mommashomemade.com
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Neptune's Kiss
Devin Taylor is the artisan who makes Neptune's Kiss body care products at her home workshop in Philadelphia. She got started making soaps and bath products in 2000 after becoming interested in the healing power of herbs and their use in cosmetics. Devin's passion for cooking provides the inspiration for her unique soap combinations which feature natural ingredients to benefit the skin and aromas to please the senses.
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Old City Coffee
Old City Coffee, Inc. was founded in 1984 as a one-person operation, by Ruth Isaac Treatman at 221 Church Street in Philadelphia. Old City Coffee's mission has not changed since the store's opening: to supply the public with the freshest, highest-grade coffees at competitive pricing. It switched its roasting operation to the Reading Terminal Market in 1988 when it opened its stand there.
Old City Coffee roasts only the best grade Arabica high grown coffee. Its coffee is guaranteed to be the freshest available because it roasts tiny batches only, every day. Old City Coffee is one of a select group of coffee retailers that do their own roasting to reduce travel time between roaster and your cup and to provide you with the freshest coffee around.
Each batch of coffee takes about 15 minutes to roast in the roaster. The temperature and length of roast is adjusted for each coffee variety and degree of roast. After the desired level of roasting is complete, the coffee is allowed to spill out onto the cooling tray, where the roasting process is stopped by quenching the coffee with air that is sucked through the cooling tray.
Old City Coffee has won local distinction from Philadelphia Magazine and the Philadelphia City Paper for offering the "Best Coffee Beans" in the city. In addition, this Philadelphia firm placed first in the 1998 Zagat survey's "The Best Bang for the Buck." It has also been noted in several national publications, including New York Magazine and Conde Nast Traveler, as well as the book Espresso from Bean to Cup.
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Paradise Hill Farm
Paradise Hill Farm is committed to the environmental and historic conservation of New Jersey's Pine Barrens. Specializing in cranberries and blueberries, the farm is dedicated to preserving heirloom varieties. The farm has been in Mary Ann Thompson’s family since 1890; Mary Ann's grandmother won the silver medal for quality at the Buffalo exposition in the early 1900s, and she continues that tradition of excellence today. The farm spans over 800 acres in the Pine Barrens, with 200 acres in cranberry production.
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Pequea Valley Dairy
Pequea Valley is a small family owned farm in Lanacaster. The grandfather of the current farmer purchased the farm in 1905, and they began processing yogurt in 1999. There is a herd of 40 Jersey cows that are fed grass in the spring, summer, and fall; in the winter, they eat dry hay, dry alfalfa, and grain. Pequea Valley products use active cultures and contain no BST hormones.
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Renaissance Sausage
Local, handmade, all natural sausages.
For more information visit:
http://www.renaissancesausage.com/home
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Rineer Family Farms
Rineer Family Farms is nestled in the rolling hills of southern Lancaster County along the banks of the Pequea Creek. The farm covers 110 acres of this fertile ground and includes tilled fields and grazing pastures. The Rineer family is particularly proud that their family farm is a Preserved Farm in Lancaster County, ensuring the farm will remain in agriculture forever. The Rineers raise a wide variety of products on their farm including fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef, and chickens for egg production. They provide farm fresh products to the consumers of Philadelphia year round including five summertime farmers markets, two wintertime farmers markets and the Winter Harvest program.
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Rosemary and Thyme
Rosemary and Thyme is a woman owned, NJ based business. Chef/Owner, Kim Osinksi uses her passion and love for making people feel good through food to create tasty and convenient prepared meals. All her ingredients are seasonal, organic and sourced through local farmers as much as possible. Her favorite farm is Fernbrook Farms in Bordentown, NJ.
Rosemary and Thyme also offer private chef services, catering, home meal deliveries and cooking classes. Kim prides herself on creating an exciting business that services people in almost every aspect of the food industry with heart and soul. Cooking meals for people is like cooking for her own family.
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Sam Consylman
Sam Consylman proudly farms his small plot of land with a constant emphasis on sustainability. He grows from seed some crops that are unusual for Pennsylvania such as Jerusalem artichokes or a South American root named yacón, cultivates some plants that have already started growing in the wild such as poke, and forages for other things such as paw paws in the summer. He is primarily interested in cultivating and maintaining healthy soil through organic methods.
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Shemanski Maple Products
A small scale commercial maple sugaring operation located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. They tap approximately 2,500 Sugar Maple and Red Maple trees each spring to produce 600 to 700 gallons of Pure Pennsylvania Maple Syrup. They use a pipeline collection system and a few individual buckets to collect the sap. Each spring they collect and process 25,000 to 30,000 gallons of maple sap.
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Sweet Water Baking Co
Sweet Water Baking Co is a small family bakery in Kimberton, baking organic European-style hearth loaves. They use a wood-fired brick oven and their breads are naturally leavened. Villagers from Camphill Village @ Kimberton assist with the cookie-making.
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