Open Farm Week Promotion: Featuring Union Brook Farm

by Connor Sweeney with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

This Tuesday I drove down to Northfield Vermont to visit Union Brook Farm, run by Em Virzi and Rose Thackeray. This farm can be found at 1565 Union Brook Rd, Northfield, VT 05663.

When I arrived at the farm I was greeted by a big white dog named Bruce. Bruce was very sweet, and for most of the tour, he was roaming the property at work. His role on the farm is to protect all of the animals from predators, I spoke with Em and they said that in the 4 years of having the farm, they've had very few issues with predators.

What I found very interesting about Union Brook Farm was the diversity among its animals, they had ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens, sheep, and pigs. A perk of having so many different types of animals is you have products that fall into different categories covering buyer's interests, which can prove beneficial for small businesses.

Shortly after arriving, I was shown the pigs. I expected the pigs to be laying on their bellies in a field all huddled under a single piece of shade. But I was surprised as Em led me down the hill and into a heavily wooded area. At Union Brook Farm they raise their pigs differently than most places. Their pigs are raised in the woods, a term for this is "Forest Pigs".

Benefits of raising Forest Pigs over Field Pigs:

· Forest pigs are constantly moving around sloped terrain and obstacles, which caused the meat to be higher in the following: Polyunsaturated fats, Omega 3s, Protein, and Vitamin E

· Pigs are good at weed control and in the context of my visit Em and Rose are using their pigs to diminish the weeds on their land allowing them to replant more beneficial things such as cover crops.

I found my tour of Union Brook Farm to be very informative, both Em and Rose are very knowledgeable and passionate about farming as well as the importance of community. I would highly recommend that during Open Farm week you pay a visit to Union Brook Farm. The event will be on Monday, August 5, from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM.

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