Jon and Diane Bermon

Stanley, NY

beef, pork, lamb, eggs

Aberdeen Hill Farm is pasture-based year round and does not use any confinement practices.    Feed is locally grown, free of hormones and antibiotics.  No chemicals are applied to farm fields or pastures.  Rotational grazing is utilized and manure and compost spread to maintain soil fertility.

www.aberdeenhill.com

Here’s our intern Anne’s report of her interview with Diane and Jon Bermon:

I should start out by admitting that I was a little nervous about doing the interview for Aberdeen Hill Farm.  It had nothing to do with the owners of the farm, Jon and Diane Bermon, who in the first second of talking to them make it clear that they are very nice people who care a lot about their farm.  I was nervous, in fact, that I would be a nuisance because it seems that there are customers at their tent through the entire market.  Every time I started to head over, I would see another group of people congregate.

When I finally found a moment when they weren’t busy, Diane told me about how Aberdeen Hill Farm got started.  Diane said that almost fifteen years ago, the farm was started in an effort to feed their family food free of chemicals.  The Bermons really enjoyed having their farm and ended up turning it into a business.

Aberdeen Hill Farm sells many cuts of lamb, pork, and beef, which are kept frozen at the market.  Eggs are also a popular seller, as I observed as customers eagerly stood waiting to make their purchases.  When I asked what types of meat sell out the fastest, Diane informed me that pretty much all of them sell.  If the product you want is sold out, the Bermons are happy to guide you to other cuts you might enjoy, and also inform you when the originally sought after cut will be available again.

Aberdeen Hill Farm’s practices for raising its livestock are enough to calm any person’s fear about meat or animal cruelty.  It uses rotational grazing practices and does not use any confinement practices (no feedlots).  Feed is locally grown, free of hormones or antibiotics.  Jon told me that they supplement the animals’ diets with grain, because keeping the animals healthy is the best way to ensure that antibiotics won’t be needed.  Manure and compost are spread in the fields and the garden, and no chemicals are used on the fields or pastures.  There’s no exposé or hard hitting investigative reporting needed here.  This intern was happy, but not at all surprised, about the sustainable practices of Aberdeen Hill Farm.  If you aren’t one of the many customers enjoying their products, maybe you should be.