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This is a great time of year at the Brighton Farmers’ Market. The hot weather finally arrived, and crops that were poking along at half-speed have picked up the pace. Come enjoy the wonderful late summer harvest from our local farms. Thank you for supporting these farmers, and for helping contribute to a more sustainable, local food supply.
Ida with apple
Featured Vendors
Anne, the market’s intern, is getting acquainted with the vendors at the market. This week she spoke with Erik Peterson of Ambrosia Acres Farm and Diane and Jon Bermon of Aberdeen Hill Farm. Here’s Anne’s report:
Ambrosia Acres Family Farm
Erik Peterson, known by some as “The Lettuce Guy,” wanted to make sure that the food he was feeding his family was truly good for them. So in 1996, in an effort to supply his house with food, he started a garden. And the garden grew. And it grew. And in his words, “it got out of control.”
Don’t worry. It hasn’t taken over all of New York State yet. It’s about an acre, but that’s pretty large considering that he only uses hand tools (rakes, hoes, shovels) in order to leave the lowest carbon footprint that he can. He told me that he’d rather “add more hands than mechanize,” which is also good news for the community. Erik would rather create a new job for a hard worker than buy a new machine to do the job.
Ambrosia Acres Family Farm does meet USDA organic standards, but is not certified organic. Only chemicals approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) are used on the products, and even then use of these chemicals is avoided at all costs.
Erik not only wants to keep his own carbon footprint down, but also appreciates when other people make an effort to do the same. As a customer in a helmet walked up, Erik commented that he really appreciates how many people come to the Brighton Farmers’ Market on foot or bicycle. He says that he’s noticed this more at our market than at other ones, and that there’s something really special about it.
Erik knows his markets. He attends Canandaigua’s market on Saturdays and Victor’s Market on Wednesdays. But our market is lucky because on Sundays, Erik brings his son Aiden, who helps him sell lettuce, herbs, leeks, cucumbers, peppers, and other products. The lettuce greens are available in small and large quantities, and are known to be sold out by the end of the market, so you better shop early.
This past week, Aiden delivered multi-colored carrots to the Good Grub Club tent as a donation for Carrot Day. Although, as the intern, I’m probably not supposed to be eating Good Grub Club donations, one of the red carrots caught my interest and I just had to try one for myself. Let me tell you, it was good. If you find yourself at the market, and we hope that you do, make sure you visit Ambrosia Acres Family Farm’s booth.
Aberdeen Hill Farm
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.
