HEALTHY FOOD. STRONG COMMUNITY.
We're a 20-acre certified organic vegetable farm located only two miles north of downtown Burlington. We grow over 50 varieties of vegetables and herbs and we sell the freshest vegetables directly to our local restaurants and grocery stores. We want people to be connected to their food, to eat seasonally, and to get to know their farmers.
ABOUT THE FARM
The Intervale Community
THOMAS CASE
Thomas is the founder of Arethusa Farm. He lives in downtown Burlington with his growing family and the farm dog mascot, Angus. As a child he was forced to help out in his parents vegetable garden and hen house. He always imagined being a farmer with cows but was introduced to organic vegetable farming while a student at Goddard College.
“I’m proud to be a farmer and feel empowered by creating a working life that allows me a great deal of self determination. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that our farm is helping to feed our community.”
Oil Painting of Arethusa Farm by Charles Woodard
How Did We Get the Name Arethusa?
Arethusa Farm is a part of a greater community of farmers at the Intervale in Burlington, working cooperatively to improve the sustainability of our local food systems. We rent our land from the Intervale Center and we cooperatively own some equipment and infrastructure with the other neighboring farms. We are a diverse community with farms of all sizes and several different business models. To learn more about the Intervale Center and other Intervale farms please visit www.intervale.org
Arethusa Farm was the name of a dairy farm in Litchfield, CT, that was owned and operated by the Webster family for over 100 years from 1869-1981. The Websters took the name Arethusa from the small wild orchid which grew in the bogs on the farm. The plant has a bright pink flower about an inch long with the sent of violets.
Thomas Case grew up hearing stories about Arethusa Farm from his grandmother, Jeannette Webster Shinn Guildford. She recorded her stories in a self-published book titled “Twelve Months at Arethusa: One Hundred Years on the Webster Farm”.
When Thomas had the opportunity to start his own agricultural venture, he choose the name of the family farm. His first start-up farm was called Arethusa Seed Farm. It was located in Bakersfield, VT, in Fairfield County. The farm was a two-acre operation producing vegetables for the farmers market, wholesale accounts, and organic seed crops sold through a catalog. In 2002, Thomas and his family relocated to Burlington and established the farm in its present location in Intervale. At this point Benner Dana joined Thomas in a partnership, and they changed the name to Arethusa Farm.
From top left: Daniel Schmidt, Benner Dana, Gabriel Calvi, Jaime Bourassa, Lindsey Ruhl, Thomas Case
From bottom left: Jeff Philly, Danielle Allen, Erin Kenny
2010 FARM CREW
About the Farmers
2009 FARM CREW
From top left: Gabriel Calvi, Margaret Fitch, Erin Kenny, Katie Murphy, Thomas Case. From bottom left: Benner Dana, Amy Francor, Ben Neilson, Jeff Philly, Emily Merril, Danielle Allen
rethusa is a certified organic vegetable farm established in 2001 at the Intervale in Burlington, VT. We grow a wide selection of vegetables on twenty acres of sandy soil along the Winooski River. We are an urban farm, uniquely situated minutes away from downtown Burlington. The majority of our produce is distributed within a ten mile radius of the farm throughout Burlington and some surrounding communities.
Our organic approach to weed and pest management includes systems of crop rotation, cover cropping, and composting to manage the health of our soils and vegetables. We also rely on hand weeding, hoeing, a variety of mechanical tools, and our fleet of tractors to cultivate the soil and manage weeds.
During the growing season, we harvest entirely by hand and deliver twice a week to local grocers, restaurants, schools, and cafes. On Saturdays through the Spring, Summer, and Fall, we sell our produce at the Burlington Farmers Market in City Hall Park. During the Winter months, we sell our produce online through our Winter Farm Store.
About the Farm
The Intervale
Arethusa Farm
ABOUT THE FARM
Farming Practices
Arethusa Farm is committed to the goal of a productive and profitable farm that protects natural resources and builds a strong community. We have been developing and practicing methods of organic farming for over 10 years. Our management practices aim at growing high quality, healthy vegetables- healthy for our community and healthy for the farmers that are growing the crops.
Crop Selection
We farm in an area where there is a high level of pest and disease pressure. Through the years we have refined our crop selection and stopped growing those crops that require a dependance on (organic) insecticides and fungicides. As a general rule we avoid spraying for pests or diseases on our farm, and instead rely on the following techniques to control pests.
Cover Crops & Green Manures
We use cover crops, grown between cash crop cycles, in order to reduce soil erosion and water pollution and increase soil nutrition. Green manures are crops grown to add nutrients, particularly nitrogen and organic matter, to the soil.
Cultivation Techniques
Through precise timing of tractor and hand cultivation methods and the use of stale seedbeds, we can control the weeds without the use of chemicals. Hand cultivation is highly labor intensive and is the main reason why it costs more to run and organic vegetable operation.
Scouting
The process of carefully inspecting a crop for insects and diseases, both destructive and beneficial, helps us keep track of the condition of our crops and to address any pest control concerns early.
Cultural Controls
These are modifications of the crop production system. For example, we inhibit pest development by reintegrating crop residue to the soil immediately once harvesting is finished. Through nutrient and irrigation management, as well as alteration of planting times or plant spacing, we are able to optimize crop health.
Row Covers
Row covers modify the crop environment by providing a barrier against insect damage as well as an insulating layer which helps regulate moisture and temperature for excellent, early yields. We rely upon the use of row covers to bring our customers very early high quality crops.
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ARETHUSA FARM | PO BOX 8082 | BURLINGTON, VERMONT 05402 | 802. 578.6429 | arethusafarm@gmail.com
2011 FARM CREW
From bottom left: Lindsey Ruhl, Linus Hanratty, Emily Falta, Jaime Bourassa, Jeff Philly, Danielle Allen, Thomas Case, Gabriel Calvi. Top of Truck: Benner Dana
