Scott Farm Orchard - Producer MMonthonth Producer - Brattleboro Food Coop
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Scott Farm Orchard
Dummerston, VT
P ro d u c e r OF
THE Mont h
SEPTEMBER 2020
Producer by Jon Megas-Russell
OF
THE Month
I
used to dislike apples when huge hand in developing it into the owned by a nonprofit (The Landmark
I was a kid, but then I tried unique orchard it is today. But the Trust USA, which owns, maintains,
heirloom apples from Scott heart and soul and skill at Scott Farm and rents the historic buildings on the
Farm Orchard, and I realized it is much deeper, more diverse, and Scott Farm property). And though his
wasn’t that I didn’t like apples, I humbler than one man could ever role at Scott Farm has him spending
just wasn’t eating the right ones! be. Behind the scenes, a dedicated, most of his time behind a desk, he’s
Have you ever tasted an Ashmead’s multi-gender and multi-racial group still, importantly, “connected to dirt,”
Kernel, a Pitmaston Pineapple, a of people has been skillfully tending, as he put it.
Knobbed Russet? How about a Reine nurturing, and harvesting the trees at Erin Robinson, the acting head
des Reinettes? With their strange Scott Farm Orchard for decades, and orchardist since Zeke’s departure,
names and crowd-pleasing flavors, that core crew is still going strong. has been, in one way or another,
these historic gems (heirloom means Now they are even stronger, with living and breathing Scott Farm for
they’re over 100 years old) are a their most recent addition: Simon her entire life. She grew up just a
world away from the mass market Renault, who is the farm’s general half mile away as the crow flies, and
fruits trucked in from Washington manager as of March of this year. currently lives in Dummerston’s
State. Scott Farm grows over 130 The Team original schoolhouse just up the road
kinds of heirloom apples, including with her two sons. She has worked
varieties that date back to the While brand new at Scott Farm,
Simon’s roots in this area are deep, at the farm for fifteen years and in
Renaissance (tiny Lady Apples date the orchard for about half that time,
back to the 1500s, when, supposedly, as is his relationship with apples:
he was born and raised on a small and has become not only a jack of
French ladies from the nobility kept all trades, but also one of the main
one tucked in their bosom to freshen orchard in Brittany, one of the most
renowned hard cider producing storehouses of information passed
their breath). Scott Farm allows our on from Goodband and others. As
community to experience history regions of France. And his entire
adult life has been dedicated to the we walked through a small section
with all our senses, by making these of Scott Farm’s 20 miles of trees,
super nutritious, especially delicious study and practice of growing food
in harmony with the earth, starting after she’d driven a huge tractor up
fruits available to local markets like the hill to the Ginger Golds, Macs,
our Co-op, and through inviting when he became fascinated with
permaculture in his youth, which led and Hidden Roses, it was pretty
the public to explore the farm, amazing to witness her knowledge
whether it’s just for the day or for a to his move to the United States.
Simon (pronounced Simone) has in action. In engineer’s overalls and
weekend stay in one of their historic with tan, tattooed arms, she’s not
properties. And now is a time of lived and farmed in Putney for over
10 years, and has spearheaded many showy about the fact that she’s basi-
historic transition for the orchard, cally a walking encyclopedia. But it
with two of its long-time leaders community-oriented local food
endeavors, like the Putney Farmers was clear after just a few moments
gone as of early this year. in the fields that she knows every
Market and the Putney Community
Kelly Carlin, who ran the business Garden. More recently, he earned a inch of the orchard like the back of
side of things, and Zeke Goodband, Master’s in Management of Mission- her hand. She’s also quick to point
who headed the orchards, were both Driven Organizations at Marlboro out that she’s not going it alone in
employed at Scott Farm for almost College. When the job at Scott Farm her new role: a team of mentors and
20 years, and both left around the opened up he welcomed the oppor- consultants, to whom she expressed
turn of 2020. Looking like he’d tunity to be employed by a B Corp much gratitude (coming from her
stepped out of a Civil War photo- (this means Scott Farm is a for-profit they sound like agricultural super-
graph, and with great passion and business that’s required to meet heroes), is helping her make the
knowledge, Goodband became the certain standards of sustainability, choices that week to week keep the
public face of Scott Farm and had a worker protections, and more), trees healthy and productive.
Simon and Erin in the orchard Lionel, Bryan, and Michael
Erin and Simon were also both fruits. The level of detail is such that at the farm has its own strengths
adamant about another group vital even the same type of apple could and weaknesses and needs to be
to Scott Farm’s continued success: have a different ripening time if it’s in constantly monitored for health
every year between July and Novem- a different row. Henry, Johnson, and and harvest. I learned that apples
ber a small number of people travel the other long-timers know exactly naturally have a multi-year cycle of
from Jamaica to work at the orchard when to start tasting each variety growth. If a tree bears a lot of fruit
for the season. Most of them have daily to make sure they’re harvested one year, the next year it rests and
been making this annual trip for at peak ripeness. And back home in produces little or nothing. Much of
ten to fifteen years or longer. I was Jamaica, they continue their trade, the work of cultivating at Scott Farm
only able to meet three of these key except instead of apples they grow or any apple orchard lies in manag-
crewmembers on my visit: Mr. Lionel bananas and other tropical fruits, ing that cyclical pattern, and trying
Henry, from Clarendon Parish, and which get sold at local farm stands in to even it out as much as possible.
Michael Johnson, from the Kingston Jamaica, just as Scott Farm’s apples Each year very early in the season
side of St Elizabeth Parish, have both are sold locally here in New England. every single little apple is sprayed
been there for 25 years. Bryan Stew- Scott Farm Orchard also has a with just the right amount of an
ard, from St Andrew Parish next to team of local seasonal farm workers acidic substance that, as Erin put it,
Kingston, is the newest: he’s been who participate in the early season “stresses the tree out” a bit so that
coming for three or four years now. work all the way to harvest. Most only one apple, the “king bloom,”
Roy “Doctor” Burns, though he will also return in the winter to help remains on a given branch. Where
couldn’t make it this year, has been with the important task of pruning naturally a cluster of five apples
coming to Scott Farm for 19 years the trees. Summer Stevens, Julia would grow around this king blos-
and previously worked elsewhere Etter, and Jesse Palmer contribute som, the hope is that just the king
with Zeke Goodband for a good their skills and hard work to the will remain, so that the next year
amount of time; from the way Erin orchard and play an important role the tree will have enough energy
talked about him, it’s clear he’s a in making the place work and thrive. to produce another bountiful crop.
hugely important part of the crew. The trees are also pruned exten-
Orchard Practices sively (Erin said an old saying is that
This group of expert workers
keeps Scott Farm up to snuff: like Shepherding the apples from their you should be able to throw a cat
Erin, the skill and knowledge they’ve beginnings as tiny green babies to through the branches) and carefully
developed over the years keeps the their final full, heavy, sweetness treated for each potential health
orchard’s heart pumping. They know began to seem more like building threat in the safest most ecologically
all the subtle yet precise variations of a Swiss watch than tending to the sound way possible. It’s like Q from
timing and cultivation necessary to needs of a tree as I roamed the fields the James Bond movies invented
keep the trees producing delicious with Erin and Simon. Each one of the special 007-style gadgets particu-
approximately 130 varieties grown lar to each pest. For instance, one
and all of Vermont. Scott Farm’s medicine, and looking at new crops
history starts mere decades after like elderberry and black currant
this first recorded colonial visitation, that are now known to have power-
in 1791, when its land began to be ful health benefits. Additionally,
farmed by the first white family to they’re learning from research being
Fake apple insect trap live there. They grew food and raised done on the health value of apples,
animals, and who knows, perhaps and heirlooms in particular. With
damaging critter is lured to a fake they grew the then-popular Maiden’s leadership coming from Simon and
apple that attracts them through Blush apple, a lovely, sweet, tender the orchard’s advisory committee,
its bright red color. Another pest is American variety dating back to this which notably includes Paul Schulick,
confused by a “pheromone disrup- era. When apples were an important co-founder of New Chapter and
tor” which interrupts their mating part of a family’s winter food supply, owner of For The Biome, a focus
cycle, instead of being massacred by almost every farm had one or two on the incredible capacity of these
a poison spray. Instead of herbicide, Maiden trees; this variety is grown at humble fruits to heal and nourish is
grasses around the bases of the trees the orchard today. In the early 1900s on their horizon. With the diver-
are carefully mown to prevent prob- the property was purchased by the sity of its fruits, of its staff, and its
lems that can start in taller weeds. Holbrook family. They created an history, Scott Farm is well poised to
It’s a tightly monitored and innovative and forward-thinking endure in our changing world.
carefully compiled collection of orchard, growing then-new varieties Keep your eyes peeled for news
as-gentle-as-possible practices that like Macintosh and shipping them all about upcoming special virtual events
all get rigorously measured as part of over the country—they were one with Scott Farm and the Co-op!
the Eco-Apple program (see the side- of the first orchards to use refriger-
bar for more information on this). It’s ation and mail order, and even have
interesting to note that some of the a patent on a special shipping crate. What’s Eco Apple?
treatments are to simply improve Two generations later, the entire Quote from Red Tomato website
the appearance of the apples, as we Scott Farm property was gifted to regarding the Eco-Apple program:
consumers are very finicky about The Landmark Trust USA, so that its
“Over 93% of certified organic
blemishes. Though they have no history could be preserved but also
apples sold in the US come from
effect on taste or safety, they can be accessible to those who want to
the Pacific Northwest, where
mean the difference between a experience it.
the organic production protocol
crop that sells and a crop that goes Future was developed and is a good fit
to waste. So much care and atten-
Scott Farm is looking towards the for the regional climate. But tree
tion take place just so we can have
future and taking stock of what will fruit growers in the Northeast
a perfect-tasting, perfect-looking
continue to allow it to thrive, with face more than sixty species
apple.
new apple trees being planted every of damaging insects, twice as
History year, new fruits being introduced many diseases, and a much
November 30th, 1727: The first (like paw paws and medlars), and wetter climate compared to the
visit to Dummerston by a white new people breathing new life and West Coast – making certified
colonist is recorded. Colonel Joseph new ideas into this piece of living organic production incredibly
Kellogg tells in his journal of his history. They continue to work with challenging. The Eco program is
scouting party’s trip from nearby local businesses that place an impor- a collaboration between growers
Fort Dummer to the top of Black tance on locally grown food, like and scientists dedicated to find-
Mountain to survey the country for Food Connects’ Food Hub distribu- ing the most ecologically-friendly
Abenaki smoke signals. tion service, our Brattleboro Food way possible to grow wholesale
Co-op, and other markets, cooper- tree fruit in our region. Eco-cer-
-From the Dummerston Historical
atively owned and otherwise. And tified apples, peaches and stone
Society website timeline https://www.
now, with the coronavirus pandemic fruits offer you a way to support
dummerstonhistoricalsociety.org/timeline
forcing us to examine more deeply farmers right here in the North-
For somewhere between the importance of a strong local food east and eat sustainably-grown,
10-15,000 years before this country’s system, Scott Farm is also seeing delicious fruit you can feel good
colonization, native peoples lived in the importance of locally grown about.”
the area now known as Dummerston
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