Business & Tech

Local Business Profile: Cold Spring Farm

"Growing, harvesting, selling, preparing and sharing food creates memories. When people share a good experience with food, it becomes a fond memory in the mind and a warm feeling in the heart."

 

Jessica Stone has roots that run deep in the East Haddam community, growing relationships between landowner, farmer and customer. Her business is grounded in a simple farm-to-table lifestyle, celebrating the connectedness that the farmer has to her land while fostering a relationship with the customers who come to share her passion for local, fresh organic food.

Cold Spring Farm's stand is located at the original late 1700's farm site that was previously known as the Dutton Farm. In the mid-1800's, it became known as the Rose Farm. Most recently, according to the farm's website, it served as the home of the Rose Farm Gallery, owned by Charlie and Debbie Farrow.

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Half of the farm stand’s proceeds are donated to the .

We were interested to learn more about Cold Spring Farm so we asked its owner, Jessica Stone, about her business. This is what she said.

Q: Why did you start your business locally? 

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A: Is there really a better way? I like to keep dollars in our local economy. Sixty cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the local economy!

 

Q: When people think of your business, what sets you apart from others? 

A: I grow organically and I’ve never done it any other way! There’s no better assurance that your food is safe than knowing where it came from and that it is truly organic.

 

Q: What are you doing to attract and retain your customers during the economic recession? 

A: Even though I’ve been gardening since I was a kid and I’ve been farming officially for about 12 years, I took a 2-year hiatus to relocate my farm and start a family. I now suppose it was bravery that led me to start selling again during the economic recession. Why did I really feel the need to do it? There’s truly a need for local, organic products. With minimal advertisement, I think I’m attracting and retaining customers simply by growing and selling healthy food and loving every minute of it. My love of farming and healthy food any my customers’ love of the same is what’s selling the stuff! Growing, harvesting, selling, preparing and sharing food creates memories. When people share a good experience with food, it becomes a fond memory in the mind and a warm feeling in the heart.

 

Q: What's the most important ingredient to your success?

A: Sharing my own good experiences, telling the stories of others’ experiences and displaying my love of and excitement for organic food. And, this is one of the main reasons I grow many heirloom varieties. They are a link to the past and the past is full of good memories connected with people sharing food. I am helping to link these good memories to the present by sharing the new-old heirlooms with people.

 

Q: Where would you like your business to be in five years?

A: I would like the business to have roots in sustaining the community and legs extending to others who would share the same love of food as me.

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About the Business

Name: Cold Spring Farm

Owner: Jessica Stone

Business Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12, East Haddam, CT 06423

The Farm Stand: 1 Cold Spring Road at the former site of Rose Farm Gallery, East Haddam

Hours of Operation: The Farm Stand is open Thursdays through Sundays

                                    From 3-7 p.m. on weekdays

                                    From 10-7 p.m. on weekends

Phone:  860-316-8368

Web: www.coldspringfarm.weebly.com

Founding/Opening Date: Spring 2012

Type of business: Organic farm selling vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits. Lots of heirloom varieties!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Cold Spring Farm thus far!


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