In recent years, Essex, NY has emerged as a nationally recognized leader in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSAs in Essex have attracted media attention, have been celebrated in best selling memoir The Dirty Life, and have nurtured local food support among Adirondack Coast residents, visitors and restaurants. CSAs in Essex represent the most recent wave in the Champlain Valley’s agricultural heritage, a tradition that until recently was rapidly vanishing. As farmers shift from conventional monoculture to diversified, community funded, locally consumed agriculture, the future of CSAs in Essex – and across the Unitd States – looks bright.

For over 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.
Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public… Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.
This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. Learn more here… (Local Harvest)
Produce and products vary from farm to farm and may include not vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, dairy, flowers, grains (and dry beans, etc.), farm-produced goods (such as sauerkraut, soap, maple syrup, etc.); and other items. Sometimes local farms partner to diversify their particular CSA offering.
Consumers (or members) of CSAs in Essex can witness the farming process as they stop by their farm source to pick up weekly produce and some farms even ask or allow share members to help out on the farm (especially during big jobs or emergencies). This adds an important element back into the human-land connection that is lost when people do not realize where their food comes from or the work it takes to create it.
CSAs in Essex and Beyond
CSAs in Essex and neighboring communities are a relatively new trend despite a long-standing agricultural presence in the Champlain Valley. Essex Farm pioneered the CSA movement locally when they opened in 2004.
- Essex Farm: Mark and Kristin Kimball founded Essex Farm together in 2004, which is the world’s first full-diet CSA, as far as they know. Essex Farm offers a year-round, full diet, free choice membership. According to their website they currently farm 600 acres and feed 222 members, while powered by fifteen solar panels, nine draft horses, ten full-time farmers, and three tractors. They produce grass-fed beef, pastured pork, chicken, eggs, fifty different kinds of vegetables, milk, grains and flour, fruit, herbs, maple syrup, and soap…
- Full and By Farm: Sara Kurak and James Graves operate the Full and By Farm CSA in Essex, NY, with assistance from temporary farm hands and interns. Nestled between the Boquet River and Boquet Mountain, Full and By Farm was historically a holstein dairy, now reborn as a diversified vegetable and livestock farm. Combining ancient, proven cultivation techniques with the latest innovations in sustainable growing methods and resource conservation, Full and By is rejuvenating a local landmark while generating sustenance for the community. They produce a variety of vegetables, strawberries, grass-fed beef, chicken, pasture pork, eggs…
- Other CSAs The success and popularity of Essex CSAs has spawned several newer CSAs in the region. We will include a link to nearby CSAs soon…
Are there any local CSAs that we are missing? Please let us know in the comments!
Essex CSA Archive
The following posts on the blog featured or mentioned Essex area CSAs since June 2011.
- Over 100 Families Will Receive Free Farm Shares this Summer through AdkAction ‘Fair Share’ ProgramAdkAction is pleased to announce that more than 100 families in the North Country will be able to enroll in ...
- Essex Farm: Reinventing the Business Model for Food Production (Times of Entrepreneurship)“The Kimballs designed Essex Farm as a year-round, full-diet CSA with a pricing scheme that’s mind-boggling for the average US ...
- Tangleroot Farm is now accepting CSA members for the 2020 season! *NEW FOR 2020* We are proud to provide all of our members with Door-to-Door delivery!In an effort to support the health and well being of our community, we have decided to implement a new ...
- The Modern Farmer Breakfast (FOOD & WINE)At a sustainable farm in northern New York, the first meal of the day is often the best. Workdays on Essex ...
- Essex Farm: The End of the YearHere’s the recent news from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm: Here it comes. The end of the year, in full view. Before ...
- Young Farmers Take Root in Essex County, N.Y. (SEVEN DAYS)The two are part of the young farmer boomlet in Essex County. While Vermont’s farm economy has blossomed, giving birth ...
- Harrow & Haw. Gee & Glee: Oceanic FeelingLast night was the second time I walked behind the majestic team of black Percheron mares — Pat and Pearl. “It’s ...
- Building Bridges & Another Conservation Easement Success StoryBuilding Bridges for Grand Hike to the Essex Inn We built some bridges in preparation for the May 14th Grand Hike ...
- Happiness“When what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony” -Mahatma Gandhi. After seven long years of college, ...
- Essex Farm to Host “Celebratory Spring” Farm TourEssex Farm is hosting a Celebrate Spring farm tour on Saturday, May 23rd. The tour leaves from the barnyard at ...
- North Country CreameryHave you heard of North Country Creamery at Clover Mead Farm? It’s located at the epicenter of Keeseville’s thriving local food scene. Now in ...
- Why I Give to Lakeside SchoolI am so pleased to see how our local communities have changed since my family moved here in 2001. There ...
- Full and By Farm: The Grass is GreenerThe world did that magic thing this week—when suddenly you look out the window mid-day and realize that the grass ...
- Full and By Farm: Spring Has Finally SprungSpring has finally sprung. At the start of last weekend it seemed that we were in the midst of the ...
- Full and By Farm: Sugaring Dream WeekWe’re finally having the sugaring week that we have all been dreaming of. Tuesday brought us our biggest collection this ...
- Full and By Farm: Extra Cold Temperatures Create DelaysLast weekend’s temperatures eeked just enough above freezing for another sap collection. Though it was small it did allow us ...
- Essex Farm: Dog CharadesWe get the news directly from Kristin Kimball‘s blog, and check out this heart-warming story from Essex Farm: Jet is wearing his superdog ...
- Essex Farm: Milk MysteryCheck out this week’s Essex Farm news from directly from Kristin Kimball‘s blog: Aubrey came to the house on Monday morning during milking. “The ...
- Full and By Farm: Snow Challenges Sugar CollectingLast weekend’s promise of warm sunny days left us disappointed and chilled. The temperatures just made it above freezing Saturday morning, ...
- Full and By Farm: Sugaring SeasonSugaring season is in the air now, an exciting time not just for the promise of days and evenings spent ...
- Essex Farm: Maple SugaringHear the most recent news from Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: Of all the work we do on this ...
- Full and By Farm: Super Wheat BerriesWe are featuring chef Doug’s wheat berry salad for veggie members this evening. Wheat berries are a super nutrient-packed whole ...
- Full and By Farm: Dreaming of SpringI’ve spent the last week digging into old records, field maps and beautifully glossy seed catalogues. Washing the slate clean ...
- Essex Farm: Soybean ProductsRead the latest news from Essex Farm in the note from Kristin Kimball’s blog below: “Miranda was sick all week so I took ...
- Full and By Farm: Fuzzy Winter HorsesThe horses came in yesterday for the first time this winter. James says they look like big, giant marshmallows covered ...
- Essex Farm: Annual Vet MeetingRead the latest news from Essex Farm in the note from Kristin Kimball’s blog below: “I had my annual kitchen-table meeting with the ...
- Full and By Farm: SproutsWe are all giddy over having Doug back at the farm with us for the winter. Many of you will ...
- Essex Farm: Lamb ForecastCheck out the latest news from Essex Farm in this note from Kristin Kimball: “The light seems stronger this week. It’s warmer. The ...
- Full and By Farm: Sleepy Winter PatternsThere is not a lot of farming news this week. We are happily settled into our sleepy winter patterns of ...
- Essex Farm: BrittleCheck out the latest news from Essex Farm in this bitterly cold winter with this note from Kristin Kimball: “Travis plugged ...
- Full and By Farm: Mosaic PuzzlesAfter visiting years ago a friend described to me the sensation that our farm was like one of those mosaic ...
- Essex Farm: Winter WonderHear the most recent news from Essex New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: “The old year had to be shoved out and ...
- Full and By Farm: Pastures Coated in IceLast week’s cold winds and blowing snow seem so happily far in the past. Brad and I spent Thursday evening up through Saturday working ...
- Essex Farm: The Last WeekHear the end of the year news from Essex New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: “Those of you who have been with ...
- Full and By Farm: Frozen on the FarmI was surprised how thoroughly frozen I felt during morning chores today—watering eyes, burning cheeks, bare fingers numb and red ...
- Essex Farm: YuletideHear the most recent winter news from Essex New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: “The low temperature of the week, according to ...
- Full and By Farm: Finishing Regular Season ShareWith a belly far too full to be thinking about food, I will be setting up the share this afternoon ...
- Full and By Farm: Faring Well in the ColdThe thirty degree weather outside is positively balmy this morning. There’s almost no need for hat or gloves to keep ...
- Full and By Farm: Readying for WinterThe past week has felt like a whirlwind going by, not unlike a windy little snow squall passing quickly over ...
- Essex Farm: CalvingRead the news from Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: Calving has begun in earnest. The barn is so full of hormones I get ...
- Full and By Farm: Rejoicing in LightAs we are approaching the darkest days of the year, we, here at the farm, have been rejoicing in light. ...
- Full and By Farm: Thanksgiving Pick-up TodayCome by the farm TONIGHT for a special pre-Thanksgiving pick-up. Given the nasty snowy, sleety, rainy weather predicted we’ll start ...
- Essex Farm: CarrotfestHear the news from Essex Farm straight from Kristin Kimball‘s blog below: “The carrots came in on Veteran’s Day. Carrots are one of our ...
- Full and By Farm: Getting Ready for ThanksgivingNext Thursday is Thanksgiving, the delectable annual harvest festival! We will be distributing food on Tuesday of next week to make time for ...
- Essex Farm: Harvest HomeGet the news from Essex, New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: It was another week of big harvests here. The Fledging Crow ...
- Full and By Farm: Barn Building ContinuesThe eternal and infernal moving around continues in the bank barn. We put up the walls in the kitchen and ...
- Essex Farm: Arithmetic VariablesGet the news from Essex, New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: “Sometimes this farm’s arithmetic includes some very interesting variables. In the ...
- Full and By Farm: Harvest PartyWe are having a harvest party this Sunday at 10am, followed by a pot-luck lunch at 1pm. We’ll be focusing on getting ...
- Full and By Farm: Preparing for ColdIt’s been a busy week in preparation for the first real cold snap of the season. A weeks worth of nights ...
- Essex Farm: Eat! Eat!Hear the most recent news from Essex, New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: If you believe as I do that every farm has ...
- Full and By Farm: Fall TreatsWe have pumpkins and baby gourds in the share this week. They will be on display tonight out front, pick one ...
- Essex Farm Stand OPEN DailyThe Farm Stand at Essex, New York’s Essex Farm is now open! Stop by for some local, fresh foods! The ...
- Essex Farm: Queen CornHear the most recent news from Essex New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: “Every few days for the last month I’ve visited ...
- Full and By Farm: More Cider and A New CalfThis week we have apples picked, washed and ready to press! Bring a jar to take some cider home for real ...
- Essex Farm: Bittersweet FallHear the most recent news from Essex Farm in Essex, NY, directly from Kristin Kimball below: Fall is such a jumble of firsts and lasts. First ...
- Full and By Farm: Fall GiftsIn honor of fresh pork we are back at the cider press this week, please bring a jar with you to ...
- Essex Farm: ColorHear the most recent news from Essex, New York’s Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball below: Another busy harvest week here. The tomatoes are still ...
- Fall Essex Farm TourOctober 12th, 2013 Time: Tour at 10am; Lunch at Noon; Afternoon session 1-3pm Suggested Donation: $25 adults; $5 for kids Bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear, ...
- Essex Farm: Thank YouHear the most recent news from Essex Farm in Essex, NY, directly from Kristin Kimball below: It was all about hay this week, friends. We’re striving ...
- Full and By Farm: Bank Barn Winter PreparationsWe’ve been focusing the last two weeks on getting the bank barn closed in for winter. We brought in some help ...
- Full and By Farm: Wheat Cleaning AdventuresWe’ve been fussing all week with an old borrowed seed cleaner, attempting to clean the debris and weed seed out of ...
- Essex Farm: News, NewsHear the most recent news from Essex Farm in Essex, NY, directly from (one of the) owner Kristin Kimball below: “This was the first full week ...
- Full and By Farm: End of Summer Field WorkOur end of summer field work is just wrapping up. We have next year’s veggie field spread with compost and cover ...
- Essex Farm: Preservation TipsWondering about what’s new from Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “The topic is abundance again, but today we’ll cover food instead ...
- Full and By Farm: Cider MakingWe are all set up for more cider making tonight during the share. We have some nice sweet apples to mix ...
- Essex Farm: Fly ControlWondering what’s new from Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “It is the season of abundance. We could talk about the tomatoes, ...
- Essex Farm Tour: Farmers OnlyFARMERS ONLY TOUR Time: September 14th, 2013. Tour at 10am; Lunch at Noon; Afternoon session 1-3pm Suggested Donation: $10 Bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear, delicious food ...
- Full and By Farm: Summer and Fall IntertwineWith so late a start to the farm season it seems that summer and fall are showing up together this year. ...
- Essex Farm: Nature Will Find a WayWant the news from Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “A storm rolled through yesterday afternoon and dropped just enough rain to ...
- Essex Farm: Big HarvestsWondering about what’s new from Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “We are at the center of the bounty right now. My ...
- Full and By Farm: Vegetable Fields Continue ImprovingThe Full and By Farm vegetable fields continue to improve by the day. The summer cabbage is bulking up and the ...
- Full and By Farm: Tempting Root VegetablesIt felt right to be harvesting carrots this morning, bundled up in my fleece, down vest and hat. With my ...
- Essex Farm: Buckwheat and BeesWondering what’s happening at Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “I’m on my way back from giving a talk in Michigan, ...
- Full and By Farm: Taking Back the FieldsWell into August now and still pushing hard to get caught up from the early summer rainy season. The transplanting and ...
- Essex Farm: Glad to be HereWondering what the news is around Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “There has not yet been a season poor enough to ...
- Essex Farm: Empire BuildingWondering what the news is around Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “Mark and I just got back from a bike tour ...
- Full and By Farm: Summer VeggiesWe finally have some summer veggies starting to show up in the share—zucchini, cucumbers and eggplants, as well as the extremely ...
- Essex Farm: Hay Hay!Wondering what the news is around Essex Farm? Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: The heat made for happy plants this week. The ...
- Full and By Farm: Cruising AlongWe are cruising right along with hay making and construction projects this week. We’ve finished up making square bales and have ...
- Full and By Farm: Heat Good for HayWe spent the weekend and early part of this week bringing hay into the barn. The conditions were great for drying ...
- Essex Farm: Excellent, ConsideringSome good news from Essex Farm! Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “Blue skies and sweet, cool air today. That’s more like it! The ...
- Full and By Farm: Good News and Bad NewsA beautiful seven day forecast is in front of us. The fields are still mushy, but the water that has been ...
- Essex Farm Tour in (Wet) PhotosTake an Essex Farm tour in photos. These pictures were taken last week. Hear the reports and see some samples of the images ...
- Essex Farm: FirecrackersUnfortunately all this rain is bad news for Essex Farm! Hear the update from Kristin Kimball below: “It’s fair to say we’re in disaster ...
- Full and By Farm: Bank BarnA few weeks ago Doug realized that the Bank Barn got it’s name because it’s built into a bank of land ...
- Essex Farm: Summer TourDo you want to take a tour of Essex Farm? Well you can take one this summer on July 13, 2013! Time: ...
- Essex Farm: If It Bleeds It LeadsHave you been wondering what’s up at Essex Farm? Sadly, there is some disappointing news to share. Hear the update from Kristin ...
- Essex Farm: MidpointHave you been wondering what’s up at Essex Farm? Well, enjoy this summer solstice update from Kristin Kimball from the farm in Essex, NY! “Haymaking ...
- Full and By Farm: Menacing SkiesHot and steamy sunshine during the past week helped dry up the fields a bit between one downpour and the next. ...
- Full and By Farm: Harvest WoesWhen we hit mid-May I invariably look around and fearfully wonder what on earth we are going to harvest for ...
- Essex Farm: Jewel in a SwampEnjoy this Essex Farm update from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm in Essex, NY! “I have said before that a farm is like a ...
- Essex Farm: Good DogEnjoy this Essex Farm update from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm in Essex, NY! “Rain, rain, it’s quite enough already. The undrained fields remained too wet ...
- Full and By Farm: OversaturationThe ground had been just keeping up with the past weeks of rain until we hit Thursday night. The last ...
- Essex Farm InstituteEssex Farm has been providing food year round for the Essex community since Mark and Kristin Kimball founded it in ...
- Essex Farm: HustleEnjoy this Essex Farm update from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! I zipped around the farm by bicycle with Mark ...
- Essex Farm: Updating WebsitesEnjoy this Essex Farm update from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! We are becoming so high tech around here, in ...
- Essex Farm: Alien AsparagusEnjoy this Essex Farm update from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! A quick note today, as the girls and I ...
- Essex Farm TourWould you like to take a tour of Essex Farm? Get your chance this summer on May, 11! May is plowing ...
- Full and By Farm CSA in Essex, NYSara Kurak and James Graves operate the Full and By Farm CSA in Essex, NY, sometimes with assistance from temporary farmhands and ...
- Essex Farm in Essex, NYEssex Farm is a CSA farm owned and operated by Mark and Kristin Kimball with help from an always eager rotation ...
- Full and By Farm: Digging into the New SeasonWe have reached the final pickup of the winter share. As we take a break from distributing the trickling remains ...
- Full and By Farm: Time Yet for Good ThingsThe sugaring season has not quite looked up yet. James was reminding us at breakfast that we are officially half-way ...
- Essex Farm: So Begins the Cycle of SeasonsEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! The first seeds went into soil this week. We ...
- Full and By Farm: True SpringThis was the first true week of spring on the farm. A week that saw snow showers, pouring rain, hail, ...
- Essex Farm: Muddy-SweetEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! Can you feel the sap rising in the trees? ...
- Full and By Farm: Empty Sap BucketsWe had a wonderful Saturday in the woods tapping maple trees up at the Hanna’s. The weather forecast promised a ...
- Essex Farm: Good Updates on Bad LuckMark had surgery to fix his knee on Tuesday. The top of his tibia got crushed by his femur when ...
- Full and By Farm: Planning for New SeasonPlanning for the coming farm season is well under way. An idea we are working on is for Nathan and ...
- Essex Farm TourMarch 9th, 2013 Time: Tour at 10am; Lunch at Noon; Afternoon session 1-3pm Suggested Donation: $25 adults; $5 for kids Bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear, ...
- Essex Farm: Baby NewsLots of baby news on the farm this week. The first sow had her littler last night. We went to ...
- Whallonsburg Grange Lyceum: A Discussion with Local FarmersWhallonsburg Grange Hall is hosting a lyceum lecture series called “Land and Labor: The Past, Present and Future of Farming in America.” ...
- Full and By Farm: Share MembershipWe have membership forms for the 2013 farm season ready today. We will hold space for current members until March ...
- Essex Farm: InjuryEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! Well, Mark wrecked his knee at Whiteface last week. ...
- Full and By Farm: Dry Winter WorriesThe thrill of new snowfall last Thursday came and went quickly. I was coat-less by Monday afternoon’s chores and looking ...
- Essex Farm: A Bloody WeekEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! It was a rather bloody week here at the ...
- Full and By Farm: Seeds for a New SeasonI’m back on frozen ground this week and looking forward to a nice snowfall tomorrow. I did manage to focus ...
- Full and By Farm: Reporting from AwayI am writing from a long way off this week, with James holding down the fort solo. I brought what ...
- Mary-Nell Bockman on Whallonsburg GrangeNorth Country Public Radio (NCPR) recently published an interview “A new life for Whallonsburg’s old Grange” by Todd Moe with Mary-Nell Bockman, ...
- Full and By Farm: Corn Wins and WoesBefore leaving last weekend, Abbie pedal-ground a full pail of blue corn meal, the newest addition to the winter veggie line-up. ...
- Essex Farm: Using BeerEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! After bragging to Mark about how dang successful I’ve ...
- Full and By Farm: Fresh Dried BeansWith the help of Joanna, Kathy and Anne we made big progress on our bean threshing and winnowing this past week. ...
- Full and By Farm: Days Lengthen…Just a BitThe past week has brought a subtle change—steadily earlier mornings and later evenings. The dark days on either side of the ...
- Essex Farm: Dare to DreamEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! It’s planning season, always an optimistic time. It’s good ...
- Essex Farm: Real ColdEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! Real cold this week for the first time in ...
- Full and By Farm: Cats Win in Winter ColdYour pick-up may be a little faster today, and the roots a little less scrubbed (at negative five the water ...
- Full and By Farm: End of the YearWe are looking out this calm morning onto a beautiful snowy world. We are also looking in on barns filled with ...
- Essex Farm: Our Little WorldEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! The year is tiptoeing toward its exit, white and ...
- Full and By Farm: No Adventures This WeekI heard last week that “adventure is just poor planning”—a quote by Roald Amundsen, leader of the first team to successfully ...
- Essex Farm: Sick CalfEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! I’m traveling today, so am sending news from afar, ...
- Essex Farm: Livestock WellEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! I just came inside from a glorious morning walk ...
- Full and By Farm: Farm-made CraftsWe have handouts in the share today. Fabric grocery bags from Adirondack Harvest, a new batch of lavender soap from ...
- Full and By Farm: Winter PreparationsAt this point in our farm’s life there is no such thing as being truly prepared for winter. With our swiss ...
- Essex Farm: Farmer ReunionEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! Mark and I were away for a few days ...
- Essex Farm: Ode to CornEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! If you are a regular reader of the farm ...
- Full and By Farm: New CalvesWinter and Willa, the jersey cows are in the barn for the winter, along with their calves and two young heifers. ...
- Essex Farm: ThanksgivingEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! I always think of Thanksgiving as our holiday, the ...
- Full and By Farm: Thanksgiving FixingsWe have a special Thanksgiving week pick-up TONIGHT between 4 and 6—sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and ...
- Full and By Farm: Progress on the CellarsWe said goodbye to our latest round of construction help on Saturday. Having traveled up from Louisville, David and Drew ...
- Essex Farm: No Misato Rose RadishEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! With temperatures predicted to plunge into the teens, most ...
- Full and By Farm: Late FallThe first truly cold weather of the season sent us in search of properly drained hoses and scrambling to get a ...
- Essex Farm: Storm SafeEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! For the non-local readers who follow news from here, ...
- Full and By Farm: Preparations & Corn BreadThe all-star bean picking team enjoyed great weather and company as we slowly worked our way down the long rows of ...
- Essex Farm: Cover CropEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! While you and I have been ogling the gorgeous ...
- Full and By Farm: Bean PickingThe shelling beans are about as crispy as they are going to get, with a dry week behind them and another ...
- Essex Farm Fall TourIt’s time for another tour of Mark and Kristin Kimball’s Essex Farm! This CSA farm in Essex, NY, has been ...
- Essex Farm: New BoarEnjoy this Essex Farm Note from Kristin Kimball at Essex Farm, in Essex, NY! I had the note prettily written by dawn today, ...
- Full and By Farm: Officially Changed Eating SeasonsWith a couple of nice, frosty nights under our belts we’ve officially changed eating seasons. This is the time of year ...
- Essex Farm: Frost & LeftoversWe got a glimpse of Jack Frost earlier this week, but tonight he’s making his big entrance. He’s fashionably late ...
- Full and By Farm: Frost to ComeI was surprised to open the door to a heavy frost a few mornings ago. It wasn’t quite enough to finish ...
- Essex Farm: Tips for Cooking from the SharePlenty of news from the farm this week, but the note is dedicated to some tips for making your kitchen ...
- Full and By Farm: Making the Storage CutThese unseasonably warm temperatures don’t feel quite like winter squash weather. Despite that, in honor of October, we are putting out the ...
- Essex Farm: New Calf & Changing CropsLots of newsy news this week. We have a healthy new Jersey heifer, born to Fanny. This was Fanny’s first ...
- Full and By Farm: Crops Readying for WinterWe harvested this year’s potato crop under dark, heavy clouds last Saturday. Thanks to the all-star team of potato pickers we ...
- Essex Farm: Steinbeck Preserves Horse PowerWe got a flood of response to last week’s note, regarding whether or not we can continue to use draft ...
- Full and By Farm: Fall on the WayFrom my pre-dawn vantage point it looks like we were spared of frost last night. Our first close call of the ...
- Essex Farm: Rain is Excellent News for Fall CropsMark and I slept so soundly on Tuesday night that we woke up thinking the rain had missed us yet ...
- Essex Farm TourEssex Farm Annual Farmer-Only Tour Date: Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 Time: Tour at 10am; Lunch at Noon; Afternoon session 1-3pm Suggested Donation: $10 full ...
- Full and By Farm: Upcoming Dinner & Work PartyThe pumpkin field is brimming with giant, beautiful orange globes begging to be carved. In celebration we are holding our annual ...
- Essex Farm: Reconsidering Draft Horse Power“Mark and I have been doing some deep thinking about draft horse power here. We do not yet have answers, ...
- Full and By Farm: Rain at Last!I ran outside in the pre-dawn darkness yesterday to check the rain gauge. I was greeted with an incredibly gorgeous ...
- Essex Farm: A Perfect Melon“The cantaloupe melons are coming in, their flesh the color of mangoes, sweet and precious as these last days of ...
- Full and By Farm: A Field Wasteland ImprovedThe hot summer weather last weekend drained our soil of anything resembling moisture once again. We’re back to the dry, dusty ...
- Treating Late BlightLate Blight is a water mold that infects plants and can devastate a farmer’s tomato or potato crops. Knowing how to ...
- Essex Farm: Weed Control“Every year is notable for something. This one may well be remembered as the year of the weeds. When Mark taught agriculture ...
- Full and By Farm: Thinking AheadI am reminded of the first spring flush of grass right now—bright, vibrant and growing by the day. The cattle are ...
- Full and By Farm: Only Good NewsIt’s a sheer delight to walk out into wet soil. Everything seems to be standing a little taller and happier after ...
- Essex Farm: Wagons of Tomatoes“Let’s do it inverted-pyramid style today, most important news first. It’s tomato week. I mean, the biggest tomato harvest we’ve ...
- Full and By Farm: Late Blight UpdateWe’re back on the hay wagons again. Since there isn’t any second cut hay in sight we’ve returned to first ...
- Essex Farm: Finds a Way to Humble Me“This is our ninth season and whenever I am feeling a little smug about our progress, the farm finds a ...
- Essex Farm Summer TourCome take a tour of Essex Farm! This CSA (community supported agriculture) farm in Essex, NY supplies its members with ...
- Full and By Farm: Help from Mother Nature & TexansThe fields thirstily drank up three quartersinch of rain yesterday. I had just begun to irrigate very modestly again, taking just ...
- Essex Farm: Farewells“It is a farewell day – to Courtney, who is off to Keeseville, and to Chad, who has been here ...
- Full and By Farm: Water IssuesOn Friday our spring ran dry. We cobbled together a makeshift water system for ourselves and the animals—siphoning out of the ...
- Essex Farm: Keep Our Fingers Crossed“Fickle weather! Most of the rain passed us by this week, falling just to our north and south. We did ...
- Full and By Farm: We Need a DrinkThe scant quarter inchof rain we finally collected this week was not enough to make much of a dent in the ...
- Essex Farm: Toils & Troubles“It’s been a stressful week around here. Mark is still wrestling with his injury, trying to find a balance between ...
- Full and By Farm: Adages to Live ByIn the early days—before the arrival of the horses—lifting, pulling, dragging, and cultivating were all done by hand, and shoulder, back, ...
- Essex Farm: Beware the SwarmDraft horses are stoic beasts. They can work through heat, dust, discomfort and fatigue. But, like Gulliver, they are tormented ...
- Full and By Farm: Water from the Sky and BoquetThe pale, parched soil gladly accepted a little rain yesterday. We are still sorely dry around here but the established vegetables ...
- Essex Farm: Wet Hay Is Not Okay“It is solstice time now, with long days and strong sun. Last week, the forecast promised exactly what we were ...
- Full and By Farm: Good Things to ComeThigh-high by the 28th of June doesn’t have quite the ring to it, but it sure looks nice. Our first ever ...
- Essex Farm: Chickens and the Fox“We had an actual fox in the actual henhouse this week. He ran across the barnyard with a chicken in ...
- Full and By Farm: Garlic Scapes and SoapWe’ve all passed the exhaustion stage and have made it safely to delirium. With just one and a half fields of ...
- Full and By Farm: Big Projects, Less SleepA largely sleepless week has left all of us dragging in our boots. Haymaking and construction projects have had everyone staying ...
- Essex Farm: Chore-ing Marathon“Mark pulled what passes for a farmer all-nighter last night, harrowing the upper field to get it ready for corn. ...
- Full and By Farm: Things Are Growing!During an evening dip in the pond last week I was reveling over the deep brown of my arms and shoulders—about ...
- Essex Farm: See Farmer->Give Hug“The landscape has taken on that lush verdant look that means we are in the thick of it now. The ...
- The Eddy Foundation Protects AdirondacksThe Eddy Foundation is a non-profit environmental foundation that purchases and preserves wildlands in the eastern Adirondacks of northern New York ...
- Full and By Farm: AsparagusIs there such a thing as too much asparagus? Impossible! Especially when it’s succulent purple asparagus… Sara Kurak of Full and ...
- Avalanche Season at Essex Farm“It’s avalanche season, work-wise . As long as the weather holds we are all under pressure to get ...
- Turtle CrossingJen Zahorchak‘s essay “Turtle Crossing” is a humorous, informative and entertaining entry in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. ...
- Farm vs. Storm“The thing that makes farming so interesting – and sometimes so heartbreaking – is the unpredictability that is built into ...
- A Local’s Look at Kristin Kimball’s The Dirty LifeThe Dirty Life is a memoir about Kristin Kimball’s transition from an urban life and career in New York City ...
- Farm Hack | Kristin Kimball“Thanks to everyone who came to the Farm Hack event on Sunday, and to the organizers, Young Farmers ...
- State of the Farm | Kristin Kimball“An end-of-April chill is upon us, and for the next few nights, the tender young things on the farm will ...
- Super Joy Field | Kristin Kimball“This mild, dry weather is the stuff farmers dream of in the spring. The new field, Super Joy, is 95% ...
- FarmHack Intervale/Essex“FarmHack is a community for those who embrace the long-standing farm traditions of tinkering, inventing, fabricating, tweaking, and improving things ...
- The Farm Has Eyes | Kristin Kimball“We’ve known for years that the farm has eyes. When Mark and I leave, it knows, and things ...
- Week of Averted Disasters | Kristin Kimball“I will remember this week as the one of averted disasters . Our first batch of chicks arrived, ...
- Full and By Farm: Grains Drain the WalletThe good news is that we found local-ish organic wheat for the season, six tons were delivered from Vermont yesterday. With ...
- Signs of Spring | Kristin Kimball“Mark and I took a farm walk this morning , and it felt like the launch of the ...
- Full and By Farm: A Stolen MonthWe’ve yet to take down the buckets but it seems that sugaring season has come to a close, a full week ...
- Sweet Day at Essex Farm | Kristin Kimball“It’s a very sweet day here at Essex Farm. First, the literal. Chad, Kim, Sabrina, and a small pack of ...
- Full and By Farm: Farm AmbianceIt’s been another busy sugar-season week, dominated by long days and late nights of boiling sap. This time of year we ...
- CSA Farms Increasing | Kristin Kimball“I was in Corvallis, Oregon, last week, to talk at the Oregon Small Farms Conference. There were close to 800 ...
- Essex Farm TourEssex Farm Spring Tour: Sun-Fed Systems DATE: March 17th, 2012 TIME: 10am to 4:30pm COST: Free for Essex Farm members. Non-members, $25 per ...
- Full and By Farm: Sweet Syrup and PoliticsWe boiled syrup late into Monday night. I split wood by the nearly full moon as it reflected brightly off of ...
- Who Can Catch the Most Sunlight, and Keep It?“Remember the week 6 note where Kristin mentioned Who can catch the most sunlight, and keep it? Well she’s away ...
- Sheep Invade Essex Farm“If Kristin were writing this note this week all we would hear about would be sheep and sheep dogs. Since ...
- Canadian Organic Growers Conference“I’m on my way back to Essex from the Canadian Organic Growers Conference in Toronto. Thanks to Tanmayo and all ...
- Essex Farm Focus“Mark and I just got back from our annual retreat to Montreal. We were wearing our town clothes and I ...
- The Dirty Life – A Barncast by The Wild Centerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ-EgT1Llcg Author, Kristin Kimball and husband Mark, owners of the Essex Farm provide a glimpse into their lives and how they ...
- Musicians Inspired | Champlain Area TrailsOne of the finalists in the Champlain Area TrailsTravel Writing Contest, Catherine Bahn’s “Musicians Inspired” shows us the stark contrast ...
- NOFA-NY“Maybe some of you will enjoy these pictures from the NOFA NY conference. Mark ...
- Looking Home | Champlain Area TrailsStites McDaniel is the director of Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center and his experience in the outdoors prompted him to enter the Champlain Area Trails ...
- Essex Farm Updates“Mark is away this week, giving workshops at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s annual winter conference. He’s also catching ...
- Full and By Farm: Fermented FoodsDon’t forget that summer share forms are due today for Full and By Farm. Meeting this deadline will get you a ...
- Kristin Kimball Writes for GourmetLive“Here’s a little essay wrote for GourmetLive about the joy of winter food.” [via New piece up on ...
- Full and By Farm: Choosing SeedsI sat down this week to peruse and place the big annual seed order, one of the coziest and most delightful ...
- Full and By Farm: Community ThanksA cold and quiet week has passed at the farm. Entering numbers into computer programs and trying my best to decipher ...
- Surprisingly Warm“Marco came over this week to teach Ashlee and me how to artificially inseminate dairy cows. I ...
- Going Back to Horse PowerFor Essex Farm, “inter is the time we consider what comes next, as a family and as a farm. Mark ...
- End of the Year at Essex Farm“It’s been a week of tidying up for the end of the year, both physically and financially. The team put ...
- Full and By Farm: Butchering the BullWe tackled Hal this week, at least the front quarters of him, and he’s proven to be quite formidable. Beef ...
- Full and By Farm: “Boy, that’s one good potato.”“Boy, that’s one good potato” is a sentiment expressed around our house a lot lately. It’s been a few weeks ...
- Moving the Cows at Essex Farm“The dairy herd is pastured way out at the eastern end of the field called Superjoy this week, grazing the ...
- Full and By Farm: Cattle Escape in the NightA few months ago I would have just about taken a nap in the pasture with our beloved bull Hal. ...
- Full and By Farm: Preparing for WinterSorry this is so belated, I lost power mid-way through the second paragraph and only recently have had it restored. We ...
- Full and By Farm: Fresh Thanksgiving IngredientsWith all of the spring like weather it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is coming up. Since the holiday ...
- Full and By Farm: Bonding in the FieldFresh leaves are back this week. We have small, but beautiful, lettuce heads to pull from the field today. I ...
- Full and By Farm: Root Success and FailureThanks to Elizabeth and the Henderson clan for coming out in the beautiful sunshine Sunday and making quick work of ...
- Full and By Farm: Fall on the FarmUnder a thick layer of wool I finally pulled the tomato stakes yesterday afternoon, prepping that section of field to ...
- Full and By Farm: Making Cider, Butter, and SausageThe temperatures are starting to drop a little bit, but the rain is still going strong. I haven’t experienced terribly ...
- Full and By Farm: Rain, Rain Go AwayOne of the most exciting thing that I’ve seen lately is the seven day forecast. It feels like we are ...
- Full and By Farm: Welcomes Vacation, Birth, and RainI’m away on some much needed vacation for the week, and have done my best to stay ignorant on happenings ...
- Full and By Farm, August 11We’ve enjoyed some much needed rain in the last few days. It’s refreshing to look out and see dark soil ...
- Full and By Farm: More Rain & Less Bugs, PleaseHarvesting the carrots this morning was like cracking concrete rather than popping up the nice sandy loam that they are ...
- Full and By Farm, July 28The buzz of activity around the farm has been intense this week. With 15+ people from 5:30 to 1 every ...
- Full and By Farm, July 21The heat and humidity have made the last few days seem even longer. The farmers and animals around here are all ...
- Full and By Farm: Only Good Things to ReportWe’ve had a great week to report on: no fallen buildings, rain-soaked hay, or animal problems. The winter squash and ...
- Motley farmers celebrate the landClipped from: www.northcountrypublicradio.org (share this clip) Did you miss the Greenhorns roundup last month? Listen to the NCPR story to hear what ...
- Full and By Farm, July 7, 2011Soaked in sweat from flipping the compost pile this hot and humid Monday, Tyler announced that July was officially here. ...
- Farm to Table DinnerFarm Fresh Garden Salad with our House Balsamic Vinaigrette Organic Free Range Chicken Curry with Farm Fresh Currants, Wilted Swiss Chard, and ...
- Essex Farm Summer CelebrationEssex Farm and the Essex Inn are hosting a farm tour and dinner on Saturday, July 23rd. There will be an ...
- Essex Farm Note, Week 26, 2011The farm is in its post-solstice slump. Every farmer I know gets tired and stressed out by the end of ...
- Full and By Farm, June 30, 2011If there’s one thing I’ve learned in farming it’s to always be grateful. Things come and go on farms with ...
- Essex Farm in Essex, New York: Draft Horses!This quick mashup dates from August 2010. I was driving past and saw Chad (Essex Farm) plowing with four draft ...
- Haying with Draft Horses at Full and By FarmMeet Sara Kurak and James Graves of Full and By Farm. We pick up our farm share every Thursday evening, ...
