Neighborly Farms Newest Venture
Brings Its Neighbors Together
By Courtney Bonoyer

The neighbors of Neighborly Farms have gathered together to offer local products at the Farm Store in Randolph Center. Joining forces in this "localvore" enterprise are (from left) Dan Childs and Marda Donner of Bee Cool Honey Products, John and Lynn Lipkvich of Spruce Lane Farm, Margaret and Stuart Osha of Turkey Hill Farm, Judith Irving of Fat Toad Farm, and Linda Dimmick of Neighborly Farms. (Herald / Bob Eddy)

Nestled in the Randolph Center countryside is a farm that brings together its products and those of four other neighboring farms in its new venture. It’s only fitting that it should be called the Farm Store at Neighborly Farms.

The store’s mission statement notes that it is "a group of neighbors joining together to make fresh, quality local agricultural products available to the community at a central location."

Run by Rob and Linda Dimmick and their family, Neighborly Farms is a place with not only hard-working neighbors coming together for a common goal, but also an educational opportunity for people near and far. This is the eighth summer the farm has been open, and the updated store with all of the neighbors’ products has been up and running since February.

Neighborly Farms is one of many places in Vermont that takes part in agri-tourism, which is very important to this state.

"Vermont is 30 years ahead of the rest of the country," according to Beth Kennett, who offers farm vacations at her family-run Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester. "It’s important not only as an educational tool but also because it brings in about $20 million annually, although the National Agricultural Statistics Service will be posting new up-to-date figures in February. Kennett says agri-tourism can be as basic as "people having school kids come to their sugarhouse to learn about how maple syrup is made."

Which is why Neighborly Farms fits the bill. They get 35-40 tour busses a year, not to mention carloads of families coming from near and far to see how cheese is made and cows are milked. It’s a chance to see where the products people consume come from.

A hallway with big windows that allow people to look on one side and see employees making and packaging cheese divides the huge barn. Look the other way and you can watch the cows being milked. There is also the option to go in the area of the building where the cows are, for those who want a closer look and a chance to sample the cheeses produced by those cows.

Also inside the barn is the store where the neighbors can bring all of their products to a central location. There is granola and maple syrup from Turkey Hill Farm run by Stuart and Margaret Osha, goat cheese and goats milk caramel from Fat Toad Farm run by Judith Irving, Steve Reid and their daughters Calley and Josey Hastings. Bee products like beeswax candles, lip balm and of course honey from Bee Cool Honey Products run by Marda Donner and Dan Childs, and dried floral wreaths and fresh-cut flowers from Spruce Lane Farm, run by Lynn and John Lipkvich. These are only a handful of the various products to be found there.

Neighborly Farms is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and they make cheese Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information call 728-4700.

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