Talking Farming
- JU Food Hub member
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
Highlights from the Spring 2025 Farmers Forum
The Jericho Underhill Food Hub sponsored a public forum for the community to meet and hear from a number of local farmers, sugar makers, fiber producers, and beekeepers. What a great way to learn more about where our food and products come from, and to connect with the folks who grow and produce them!
The panel featured a great mix of farmers!
Tom Baribault from Birch Hill Sugarworks, Chris Simms of Ash Grove Farm, Dave Martin from Settlement Farm, Jake Kornfeld from The Farm Upstream, Andy and Kiley Chamberlin of Chamberlin’s Farm, and Christa Alexander from Jericho Settlers Farm. Also in attendance, though not on the panel, were Isabel Tuck of Tuck Family Farm and Tobiah Shulmer, who specializes in native pollinator plants. Each panelist introduced their farm and shared what they’re producing this season.
Andy and Kiley from Chamberlin’s Farm have added a heated hoop house to grow more vegetables (Kiley’s specialty), and they’ll still have pumpkins and sweet corn at their seasonal farm stand. They’re even trying out strawberries next summer due to customer demand!
Jake Kornfeld from the Farm Upstream is offering a wide variety of vegetables and small fruits—including strawberries, apples, plums, peaches, pears, and raspberries. His CSA already filled up this year, which shows how popular it’s becoming. He also allows CSA members to shop directly from the farm stand, which gives folks more flexibility.
Dave Martin from Settlers Farm is raising sheep for both meat and wool in an old cow barn, while his wife provides eggs, and they also produce honey. He spoke passionately about the importance of public education when it comes to valuing our local farms.
Christa Alexander from Jericho Settlers Farm operates 18 hoop houses and 25 acres of land near the Winooski River, providing vegetables year-round. Her farm offers a self-serve stand and a CSA with seasonal sign-ups.
Chris Simms from Ash Grove Farm works on just two-thirds of an acre and uses neighbors' land to graze her sheep. She’s now focusing on sustainable farming education, offering classes to support others interested in small-scale agriculture.
Tom Baribault from Birch Hill Sugarworks and his partner Ann Gnagey produce maple syrup, and their neighbor Tobiah Shulmer grows and sells native pollinator plants—an increasingly important role given the challenges bees and pollinators face today.
One big topic discussed was access to local food.
Jake talked about the NOFA-sponsored Farm Share program, which helps subsidize CSA costs for people who need it. Both The Farm Upstream and Jericho Settlers Farm participate. Sadly, the need has outpaced the resources this year, and there’s now a waiting list—but farmers are fundraising to expand access.
It was also clear that the farming community in these two towns is more about collaboration than competition. The farmers support one another, and many even wear multiple hats—Andy works at UVM Extension and runs a podcast (farmershare.org), while Jake teaches youth through VYCC. NOFA also offers a great support program called Farm Beginnings to help new farmers get started.
A question came up about climate change. Chris mentioned how heat affects her sheep, and others talked about shifting growing seasons, dealing with new pests, and the need to adjust with strategies like hoop houses, cover crops, and raised beds. The loss of pollinators and overwintering bee deaths were also discussed as real concerns.
After the panel, each farmer had a table set up so folks could meet them, ask questions, and learn even more. It was really heartening to see the genuine connection between farmers and community members.
Please look forward to more events like the Farmer’s Forum later in the year and keep your eyes open for more classes and our next community dinner to be held this summer.
