The Barn at Stillman Turkey Farm (photo: Robin Cohen)

Today Robin Cohen treats us to the third essay in her series on the tradition-rich farming community of Hardwick, MA.

Robin Cohen, Guest Contributor
Doves and Figs

Standing in the valley of the slope near the barn on Kate Stillman’s farm in Hardwick, MA, I looked toward the craggy hill where sheep grazed and chased each other merrily. The animals were skipping over small stones and scampering up and across boulders as they sought out the choicest greens to nibble.

“We grow an excellent crop of rocks here in Hardwick” quipped Kate. Behind us, the restored early-1800s barn was set against a soft, hazy sky, making the farm look like a scene from a classic French pastoral painting.

After growing up in a farm family, Kate knew well the challenges that would be involved when she expressed a desire to own a farm. Her father encouraged her to follow that dream. “You are 24 years old,” he told her. “You have nothing to lose!” He then helped connect her with business people he knew and trusted.

Kate purchased the “Turkey Farm” in 2006 with her husband at the time (they have since divorced) on land where she had played as a child. She originally planned to change the name to better reflect the range of animals they would be raising for meat. However, as Kate ran errands in town, everyone kept asking if she was the girl who had bought “the turkey farm” or, instead, they kept wishing her luck with the same “turkey farm.”  She quickly understood how much of a landmark it was in Hardwick. Kate could no longer think of changing the name and decided that perhaps they should just add turkeys to their list of farm animals.

Stillman sheep (photo: Robin Cohen)

Although the farm belongs to Kate, reflecting her personal beliefs and hard work, her family has helped foster her success. Kate continues to be an important part of her parents’ farm, too, rising at 5:00 AM each morning to help with her parents’chores, as well as begin the work at her own. Some of the same Jamaican workers who watched Kate grow up (at age 11, Kate started a small business planting and selling flowers, which she still has today) are seeing her son, Trace, grow and thrive on the same land.

Still only a toddler, Trace already wants to help his Mom with farm chores, as she helped her parents. Unfortunately, the day before we arrived, his idea of “cleaning” the barn included dumping carefully wrapped bales of hay off the barn rafters.  Trace’s unauthorized attempt to collect eggs had ruffled the chickens so badly that Kate was laughingly calling her charming blue-eyed boy “The Chicken Terrorist” when we visited.

Kate’s warm, confident manner as she described her son’s antics, or told us about sheep that were “drama queens”, or shared a story about an entire herd of Icelandic sheep that kept wandering off the farm, made clear to me why this young woman has grown a successful business in a tough industry. In addition to her life training in farming, Kate holds a dual degree in business and agriculture from the University of Massachusetts. She works with her Mom to promote and market their products at over twenty farmers markets in the Boston area, while also running a meat CSA and customized buying programs. She collaborates with JJ Gonson of Cuisine en Locale on “Meat Meets,” which are a kind of mobile meat farmers market during the winter season.

Shortly after Trace was born, Kate purchased a second farm and now raises animals on both. With the excellent pasture lands the two farms afford her, Kate can raise pork, beef, lamb, chickens and, of course, turkeys. I purchased a Stillman’s turkey for Thanksgiving last year and, although I hesitated a bit at the price (a good deal more than what you see at the supermarket), it was the most full-flavored and delicious bird I have ever cooked. Now that I understand better all the work that goes into bringing that turkey to my kitchen, it seems even more well-worth the cost.

To learn more about Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm and find out where to purchase their products, visit the Stillman website.

Read the two previous installments in Robin’s series:
Part 2: The Farms of Hardwick, MA
Part 1: The Farms of Hardwick, MA