Cedar Circle Farm, view “not from the riverside”
Yesterday we had an interesting and serendipitous discovery of Cedar Circle Farms in East Thetford, Vermont. We had planned to stop by the Lebanon Coop after a spontaneous ride in our little Boston Whaler where we put in just south of Lyme, NH and headed north to where we didn’t know on Connecticut River. It was a hot afternoon, and after putting along we decided to give the 25hp Merc all she’d do, and skimmed along the calm waters. Never having been on the river before, we thought we’d do a little exploring, complete with our 1-yr old on board.
After about ten miles, we happened upon a boat landing on the Vermont side of the river, and decided to hop out and find out where we were. We met someone in the little village who told us we were in North Thetford. We happened to mention we were starting a juicing fast, and had to get back to Hanover, NH before the Coop closed. She responded with, “ Hey, why don’t just get back in your boat and head south again a few minutes to Cedar Circle Farm. They have a small boat landing and you can get all your organic veggies there before they close.” Sounded good to us!
Connecticut River, near Thetford Vermont
It turned out to be the most exotic food buying episode both of us had experienced. We pulled up to the little dock, and discovered a simple but beautiful little cabin (we later learned is used for “riverside dinners” and food prep), and row upon row of vegetables fields leading up the hill to what looked like the “farm stand”. Dodging big sprinklers, we made our way up the hill.
As it turns out, we stumbled upon quite a place. I had never seen the farm over the years when I had passed by on Route 5 before. It’s a bit off the road, but as I write this, I do vaguely recall their sign on the main road.
What a gem of an operation. For starters, it’s not just a farm stand, but an active educational center as well. They have classes, “Dinners in the Field”, “Breakfast on the Connecticut River”, farm tours, self-guided tours, on-farm renewable energy, and harvest festivals to name a few programs. They also have a CSA program, “pick your own”, and sell local foods and items made in the region, and there’s even a cute café on site with organic baked goodies of course. In the spirit of our juicing fast, we didn’t indulge in any cookies, but they looked good.
From the Farm’s Strawberry Festival
Image: Robert Eddy
After we loaded up on freshly picked veggies, they offered us a ride back down to their riverfront landing in their farm truck. We loaded up the baby, the bags of good food and bounced back down through the fields, in the back of their Toyota, again dodging the sprinklers on occasion.
If you get the chance, buy the good food, and even plan on getting a good education at Cedar Circle Farm. And…if you can, go by boat.
Tags: Cedar Circle Farm, Connecticut River, education, Hanover, Lebanon Coop, Lyme NH, Mountain Spirit, NH, organic farming, Organic Farms, Organic Foods, Thetford, Vermont, Your Food Supply
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