Meet Burnt Rock Farm
March is not typically the time of year that folks think about local produce. But some of our local growers who specialize in root vegetables are still going strong! We recently took a trip to visit one of our favorite potato purveyors and chatted about the Vermont agricultural landscape and why they do the work they do.
Burnt Rock Farm is a certified organic produce farm in Huntington, VT. They specialize in winter storage crops like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and onions. In the summer, we also get to enjoy their greenhouse crops. When we stopped in last month, farm staff were busy processing potatoes. About half a dozen folks sorted, washed and packed potatoes in Burnt Rock’s barn, music blasting. There was something very satisfying about watching the potatoes move through the system, surrounded by laughter. Everything smelled like dirt in the best possible way.
“City Market is kind of a unicorn of an account, where you buy a lot of food and you pay a fair price and are extremely easy to work with.” Justin Rich, one of the farm’s owners, told us later in one of their greenhouses. Around us, baby kale was just starting to emerge. The Burnt Rock team let us peek at the sprouts, though they spend the cold weather covered up. “It’s not like you just dropped out of the sky, you’ve always been there for us.”
What to do with all those taters? We love using potatoes to make a classic Quiche Lorraine into a gluten-free brunch treat! Or, if summer can’t come soon enough for you, we recommend this easy French Potato Salad – great with red and gold potatoes from Burnt Rock, available in our stores now. Bonus – it’s vegan!