Farming

Philosophy
The Hilltop Hanover Farm Sustainable Agricultural Program implements best management practices designed to achieve and maintain a balance between conserving natural resources, protecting the watershed, preserving agriculture and promoting environmental conservation. We are a pesticide, herbicide and fungicide free farm that practices water conservation and rainwater harvesting all intended to protect the watershed and provide healthy local produce with minimal impact on the environment.

The Farm Stand
Hours:
After September 1st, our farm stand opens Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

Hilltop Hanover Farm is proud to offer fresh, farm-grown produce, seasonal vegetables, herbs and cut flowers are available. The stand is self-serve operation and shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags.

Pick-You-Own:
During the harvest season, our vegetable fields are open to those hardy individuals who prefer to pick and choose their own vegetables, herbs and flowers from the market garden. Please call ahead to check for hours and produce availability, or check the website for posted events. Pick-your-own may only be done under the supervision of our farmer and/or interns in order to prevent crop damage.

Pick-Your-Own-Tips

Bring your own bag
Dress for the weather
Drink plenty of water
Watch where you walk & stay in rows!!
Know your own limits – don’t overdo
NO DOGS ALLOWED
Check yourself for ticks
Have fun!

We only use practices approved for Organic Certification

Produce Available starting August 20th as supplies last:
Tomatoes, basil, peppers, kale, Swiss chard, onions, herbs, potatoes, eggplant, and more

What we are planting now for a fall harvest that you can also plant in your own garden!

Direct seeding the following:
Fennel, cilantro, fall leeks & fall onions, carrots, beets, lettuce, and all sorts of cold loving leafy greens.

OUR FARMER

A farmer is the heart to the operation of any farm. As of this spring, Hilltop Hanover, the county-owned agricultural and environmental education center, has a new one. Mary Ellen Sheehan, formerly of Acworth, New Hampshire, comes to the farm with some lofty goals. Top on her list: offering hands-on educational opportunities for children and adults and providing healthy food options for the residents of the county. She hopes to give some of the vegetables grown on the eight acres of Hilltop’s crops to communities that have limited access to fresh produce. In addition, she developed the Farm @ Home garden, a place where families can learn how to grow fresh produce in their own backyards, patios and decks.

Sheehan’s overall approach: sustainability. “The concept of sustainable farming is really quite simple: keep costs low, protect the environment and grow healthy crops,” Sheehan said. “Sustainable farming is more than a set of idealistic principles, it’s a way to show people that they can grow healthy and delicious food and still care for our environment.” Sheehan uses and demonstrates sustainable practices at Hilltop such as composting, crop rotations to replenish soil nutrients, and biological diversity in the fields to ward off pests and disease. Sheehan’s experience at a range of farms, such as diversified family farms, therapeutic communities and educational, child-based farms in Massachusetts should prove invaluable to achieving her educational goals for the farm. With a B.S. degree from Notre Dame University and a master’s degree in environmental science from Antioch New England Graduate School, she approaches farming from a scientific perspective first.