Lower Connecticut River Valley Region Farms
Featured Farmer | Christine and Andrew Harrington | Deep Hollow Farm
It was farming that brought them together. Christine and Andrew actually met on a farm in the Hudson Valley. She is partial to organic tree fruit while vegetable-growing is closer to Andrew's heart. That's a good thing because today they grow vegetables in abundance on their half-acre plot hidden away in Chester. In addition to their on-site farm store, the Harrington's sell at Chester Sunday Farmers’ Market in season and to local restaurants throughout the year. In the quiet season, Christine is a birth doula at Manchester Hospital while raising their adorable toddler, Leo. Productivity, it seems, is in their blood.
Sustainable no-till agriculture is a hallmark of Deep Hollow Farm. It's not certified organic but might as well be. The farm uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on the one-third acre in the open or in the hoop houses (high tunnels). Seedlings are available in May for would-be vegetable growers, while those who can't wait are offered an abundance of root vegetables, salad makings, zucchini (technically a fruit!) and herbs in season. The Harrington's decided on a whim to grow potatoes in 2022 and will harvest their crop beginning in August. Don't come expecting to find melons, winter squash or corn, though.
Shopping at Deep Hollow Farm isn't limited to what they grow. A wide variety of products from local farms and a bakery are available at their Saturday morning farm store. Artisan breads and vegetable pastas (who knew?), maple syrup, eggs, elderberry juice, apple-ginger vinegar, even soap and t-shirts make Deep Hollow a one-stop gem. Christine and Andrew eagerly await the certification of their on-site Farm Kitchen where they will make and sell their own sauces, jams, and fermented products.
If you take advantage of the farm tour in May, you will be rewarded with an immaculate picture-book scene. While there may be an ongoing hidden battle with voles and slugs, weeds were not in evidence on the morning of my visit. Christine is incredibly organized, and her website makes finding out what you need to know in advance a breeze. https://www.deephollowfarmct.com/ CSA is offered, too.
This charming young family has everything going for them, and we wish Christine, Andrew and little Leo prosperity and fulfillment in their little Eden.
By Sandra Childress | June 2022
About the Author: Sandra Childress tends to her herbs on 1/3 acre in Essex. She is reluctantly moving toward growing them exclusively in pots above ground as an appeasement to her creaking joints. If it's edible and medicinal, Sandra is willing to give it a try. If they have a perennial inclination in an east-facing exposure, she's a dévotee for life. Hello sage, rosemary and thyme.