It all started with a neglected vegetable patch. It was clear that someone had loved and cared for this space in years past, but it was now overgrown with weeds and thistles, and surrounded by tumbled down chicken wire. Visiting only on weekends and Bryan’s school breaks, we couldn’t raise vegetables, but we wanted to do something productive with the space, which was delightfully close to the house. The previous year, our friend and neighbor, Al Bruno, had cleared a path to the wild blackberries near our house. Perhaps, we thought, we could grow raspberries in this little spot. We purchased 15 raspberry plants (whichlook like dead sticks), and some blueberries just for fun, and planted them – not knowing exactly what would happen, nor really what we were doing. What we found the next summer was that, because of the forgiving nature of raspberries, we had 10 surviving plants.

However, in our ignorant bliss, we did not pay attention to the low pH requirements of the blueberries, and most of them died. Undeterred, we researched and did pay attention to their soil requirements (a pH of 4.5-5), then planted more. We were rewarded the following year with a bountiful harvest of raspberries, plus blueberries that survived. Encouraged by that success, we went on to research the economics of growing blueberries in our area. We found that blueberries can be profitable, but one must wait for up to 5 years for the plants to yield enough to be commercially viable. In addition, harvesting labor is a potential challenge.

As farming is not our only career, we did not consider the waiting time till yield to be an issue. But we decided that we would offer U-Pick berries for our area, and that we should provide all three major berries for our summer customers, in an environment that was fun and family friendly. The addition of strawberries and raspberries to our plans has the benefit that the strawberries will be ready for U-Pick as early as this summer, and the raspberries in 2009. We spoke with our neighbor who had some unused hayfields, and decided to embark on a business that would embrace two elements: 1) Pick- Your Own raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry operation.

This would also provide berries for farmer’s markets and wholesale to local retailers. 2) A Bed and Breakfast, which would provide people with an opportunity for a firsthand experience of life on a small farm, and give area residents a nearby inn to house guests and visiting family members. Last year, we planted 200 raspberries and 100 blueberries at the top of our 9 acre berry hill on East Handsome Brook Road. We learned a lot, the most important thing being to plant as early in the spring as possible, so as to take advantage of the plentiful rainfall.

This April and May, with the help of local Hartwick students, we planted 2500 raspberries, 800 blueberries, and 4,000 strawberry plants. We look forward to our first crop of strawberries this summer….and lots of raspberries next year! Next, we added to our house: two guest rooms with private baths. The Handsome Brook Farm Bed and Breakfast is now open for business. (Oh yes, we now are living our dream of being here full time, as Bryan is teaching at Hartwick.) Bryan and I have always loved the idea of sustainable agriculture, and of the sense of independence and community that existed before the advent of commuting and strip malls.

The idea of being self-sufficient in our food production provides a sense of security in unstable economic times, and the satisfaction of raising it is like nothing else. And, the ability to reclaim previously productive land, and in an ecologically sensitive way bring it back into production enables us to be good stewards of a great gift. Our small farm now includes one cat, two pigs, two lambs, two steers, two pigs, two Belgian draft horses – our friends have accused us of trying to start our own Ark – and 10 chickens that we raise for eggs. We compost the manure that our animals so generously provide, and use it in the raised vegetable beds that Bryan built a couple of Christmases ago. Next ye ar, we are thinking about growing oats, in order to produce our own grain for the horses (who will be providing hayrides for the U-Pick guests and groups, and helping to haul water for the plants), and oat straw to mulch the strawberries.

It will be a busy life. We look forward to getting to know our friends and neighbors who come to pick berries, and our B and B guests who come to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of our area. We look forward to the laughter of parents and children enjoying bonfires and hayrides. And we look forward to continually learning, one of the huge benefits of practicing sustainable agriculture. The learning process never ends, and it bridges the experience of area farmers and residents who have seen it all, with innovative ideas of new generations.

Handsome Brook Farm, LLC
(Berries, Bed and Breakfast)
Bryan and Betsy Babcock
4132 E. Handsome Brook Road
Franklin, NY 13775
(607) 829-2587
www.handsomebrookfarm.com