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by Lindsay Armstrong
The rolling hills, green fields and cow-dotted pastures of rural Vermont may feel like a different world from the crowded, concrete streets of New York City. On Cabrini Boulevard and W. 181st Street, however, these two worlds are coming a little closer together through the power of food.
“We make stops all over the city, but we really enjoy coming to Cabrini. People are very curious about what we’re doing. They come over to check out the truck and talk to us about the farm or sign up for the CSA,” said Brad Fleming, a city director of operations for Holton Farms.
For the past two months, a truck from Holton Farms has arrived each Thursday morning, bringing produce straight from the Vermont farm to the residents of Washington Heights.
The 29-foot-long, specially designed truck is less a delivery vehicle than a farmers market on wheels. Two glass cases proudly display Vermont maple syrup and coffee beans. Exterior shelves hold baskets brimming with leafy greens, ruby colored raspberries and a rainbow assortment of summer squash.
A white board advertises goodies that are tucked away inside the truck’s refrigerator: grass-fed beef steaks, artisan cheeses and pints of blackberry ice cream fresh from the creamery. This is all a part of Holton Farm’s vision of bringing fresh, organic food to neighborhoods where healthy options can be hard to find.
Although this foray into New York City is a new project, the Holton family has been farming in Vermont for over 200 years. Their organic, sustainable farming methods have changed very little over time.
When Jurrien Swarts, who lives in the city, noticed the increased interest in eating locally grown food, he though it was the perfect opportunity for his family’s farm to create a name for themselves. He started a small food delivery program with his cousin, Seth Holton, who runs the day-to-day operations of the farm. The program was a hit and the cousins decided to develop it further with the idea of the farm truck.
The farm sells products under a CSA (community supported agriculture) model. Members pay an upfront fee. Then, each week, they meet the Holton farm truck in a neighborhood location to pick up their produce.
Holton Farm’s program differs from traditional CSAs in that customers can choose which products they’d like to receive each week by going online and placing an order. They can also shop directly from the truck and simply have the cost deducted from their account. “We allow you to spend your money as you see fit, rather than choosing for you. We think this is a better model for New Yorkers’ busy lifestyles,” said co-director Adam Foreman.
Holton Farms is also in the process of securing a retail license, which will enable them to sell produce directly to customers who are not CSA members. They plan to offer a 20-percent discount on all produce to customers who can demonstrate income-based need and to allow customers to use food stamps to purchase fruits and vegetables from the truck.
Ultimately, Holton Farms would like to provide the kind of services that stores like Whole Foods offer to other areas of Manhattan.
“If you go into Whole Foods, you feel good shopping there because you’re getting quality products, but it’s just too costly for many people. If you buy directly from our farm, you cut out the middleman so we can offer better prices. We want our customers to feel that they are getting fantastic food without having to pay a price they can’t afford,” Foreman said.
The truck works like a rolling CSA, or Consumer Supported Agriculture, group – people sign up and the truck delivers once a week.
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