Farm Fresh Produce

At Greene Grape Provisions

With a rich agricultural history almost as old as the U.S. itself, Scott Farm Orchard deserves a spot in our Featured Farms!

Scott Farm Orchard has been operational since 1791, and was purchased—along with Rudyard Kipling’s former home, adjacent to the farm’s acreage—in 1995 by the Landmark Trust USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of historic properties. (If you’ve ever watched The Cider House Rules, you’ll understand why—it was filmed on this very farm!) And while the farm was once more than an orchard, today’s focus on fruit as well as respect for the land and its ecosystems keeps the farm thriving, to bring you flavorful and healthy fruits and berries. Thanks to current orchardist Ezekiel Goodband’s dedication, Scott Farm Orchard now boasts more than 120 heirloom and “unusual” apple varieties, cultivated with care.

What that care entails is ecological growing practices, choosing to respect the natural ecosystems of the orchards to let them flourish. Biodiversity lends itself to stability, and cosmetically imperfect fruit is a fine price to pay for delicious fruit that can be eaten by everyone without worry. Scott Farm Orchard has always been innovative in its history, among the first American farms to use refrigeration and mail order sales, and they continue to lead the charge even now.

And although 85% of their produce stays within the state of Vermont, we at Provisions are lucky enough to be getting some of their apples! Let’s take a look at these two fantastic varieties:

Hidden Rose Apples are crispy, tart little apples with a surprise inside! While their pale green outsides are totally unassuming, their insides reveal a lovely color that ranges from a delicate pink to a full red blush. Not only are these apples beautiful, they are wonderful for baking pies and incorporating into salads.

Knobbed Russet Apples are considered ugly for their shineless, bumpy exterior. Don’t be fooled! These apples are a taste sensation you won’t be able to get enough of. From baking into pies or just having a bite, you’ll want to have these apples everywhere and anywhere.

Sprout It From the Rooftop!

Our produce department is dedicated to supporting local, small, sustainable farms whenever possible. This allows us to put an emphasis on seasonality and to support farmers through all of their growing and harvesting seasons.

The direct relationship we have with small farmers allows us to know that they are earning 100% from every dollar we pay them. When we can’t source locally, we work with distributors whose practices we trust and admire. We strive to educate our customers about the very real differences in farming methods and about the farms that we work with.

Produce FAQ

What does local mean?

In general, we abide by the following terms and seek to provide as much transparency as possible in the origins of our products and the steps in our supply chain!

Local: within 250 mile radius

Regional: within 400 mile radius

What makes someone a “small” farmer?

A small farm is a farm that is under 300 acres.

For any city dwellers reading this, here are some points of reference in terms you might understand!

Fort Greene Park is 30 acres so a small farm is approximately 10 Fort Greene Parks

Prospect Park is 526 acres so a small farm is about half of a Prospect Park

Central Park is 843 acres so a small farm is just around one third of Central Park

What is Integrated Pest Management (or IPM)?

Integrated Pest Management is an agricultural practice that is used to manage crop damage by the most economical means and with the least amount of damage to humans and the environment. Chemical application is the very last resort, but it is used (minimally) when it is deemed absolutely necessary to protect a crop. IPM represents the nuance involved in sustainable farming.

Some practices for preventing pest damage may include*:

inspecting crops and monitoring crops for damage
using mechanical trapping devices
natural predators (ex. insects that eat other insects)
insect growth regulators
mating disruption substances (pheromones)
if necessary, applying chemical pesticides (though the impact can be minimized by not spraying during the fruiting stage of a plant’s life)

*Adapted from the Environmental Protection Agency’s “IPM Principles” 2015