Imagine it’s Monday morning. You are sitting in the train on your way to work thinking nostaligically about your Sunday day trip upstate. The nature, the cute little animals, the farms — “If only I was living on a farm,” you’re dreaming. You catch yourself pulling out your smartphone, scrolling your Instagram feed and contemplating shots of the same nature, the same cute little animals and the same farms you were missing so much a second ago. All the sudden you feel better — so close to them… but yet so far away.
Although the relationship is mediated, photos can still tug at our heartstrings. For better or worse, technology lets many of us take a brief virtual escape from our city lives to dwell on our farming dreams. So to help you survive this delicate Monday morning moment, here are our favorite local farm Instagram accounts. Glancing at these feeds makes coping with our desires to be closer to nature a tiny bit easier.
Brooklyn Grange
Let’s start with a venue that’s close to home: the urban farm. Brooklyn Grange, who we’re huge fans of and recently featured in our most recent summer issue of Edible Brooklyn. Did you know that Brooklyn Grange operates New York City’s largest apiary, with over 30 naturally-managed honey bee hives? Now you do. To visit, be sure to check out their impressive events calendar (we want in on that woodworking workshop). Fresh produce, city bees, and not too far from home — this is the dreamed city.
Edgemere Farm
“A farm, by the beach, in New York City. Yes, you read it right,” says their bio on Instagram. Located in Far Rockaway, Edgemere Farm is a half-acre parcel that is a shared site for market gardeners and farmers looking to grow and sell their produce in New York City. The site is a farm incubator: a place where new farmers and growers can benefit from shared resources and collective marketing expertise. It’s also, a looker, isn’t it?
Georgia Ranney
If there’s one feed to inspire you to head upstate, it’s this one. Kinderhook Farm, where Georgia Ranney is a farmer, is one of the largest producers of 100% grass-fed beef and lamb in the Hudson Valley. In addition to beef and lamb, they raise pastured chickens and gather eggs from their pastured laying hens. They’ve recently added heritage breed pigs and an apiary to the farm.
Consider Bardwell Farm
Consider Bardwell Farm, founded in 1864, was the first cheese-making co-op in Vermont. Over a century later, Angela Miller, Russel Glover and Chris Gray are revitalizing the tradition with goat milk from their herd of Oberhaslis and cow milk from two neighbor farm partners. Follow their feed and expect to swoon over baby goats and mouthwatering cheeses.
Eckerton Hill Farm
Best known for their more than 100 varieties of juicy heirloom tomatoes and peppers, Eckerton Hill Farm sits on 58 hillside acres overlooking the fertile Oley Valley of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The adventure started on a rooftop in Brooklyn, where owner Tim Stark started his first tomato seedlings fifteen years ago. His feed is perfect for all of us that haven’t followed his path — yet.
Blooming Hill Farm
Blooming Hill Farm is a family affair. Siblings Guy and Cindy Jones are in charge of this 160 acre farm located in the region of Orange County. Their 200 unique varieties of heirloom vegetables that they grow make them a rare breed (get it?). Follow their feed and become part of the family.
Samascott Orchards
Evolving since the 1900s, the family-owned and -operated Samascott Orchards produces over 72 varieties of apples and hundreds of varieties of fruits, vegetables and mixed livestock on 1,000 acres. The farm won 2014 Edible Hudson Valley’s Local Hero Award and has us pining for acreage of our own.
Oak Grove Plantation
The Oak Grove Plantation is a 160 acre family-owned green farm in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The farm has a solar panel system that supplies all of their electrical needs, as well as an Instagram feed that has us drooling over possibilities of seasonal produce (just watch the pie video above).
