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The Home Monthly Magazine, July 2000 

A Family Hobby and How it Grew

Nancy Robinson
 

Holbrook Farm is a family farm. However, it is not the traditional version of a farm that has been tilled by the same family for generations. Though Lynn and John Holbrook have lived on the 13-acre property for 32 years, the expansion of their farm to one that welcomes visitors is relatively new.

The Holbrooks came to this isolated corner of Fairfield County by the familiar corporate transfer route, but that common scenario had some twists in the road.

A trip to Holbrook Farm may also yield some unlikely and unexpected surprises. Traveling to the farm, located on Route 53 in Bethel, reminds those of us in this packed northeastern corridor that there are still havens of solitude and quiet to be found in southeastern Connecticut.

Leaving the Merritt Parkway on Exit 41 you follow Route 57 through Weston where you connect with Route 53. And it is quite a ride. On the gloomy day that we arrived at the farm our drive took us through a hitherto unexplored area of Connecticut. Reminiscent of scenes from the Blair Witch Project, our ramble up Route 53 was filled with winding roads, an impressive lake and majestic trees.

A massive barn and acres of crops, many ready for picking, greeted our arrival. Lynn Holbrook was busy in the barn, hard at work. This is definitely a working farm and the Holbrooks freely admit that it takes up most of their time. Speaking to Lynn Holbrook, however, one quickly realizes that this is a labor of love.

Originally, as the result of being the parents of young children, the property was more of an animal farm, which also included a garden. "When our children were little, we had all sorts of animals - chickens, Shetland ponies, even 30 to 40 pigs at one time. Then we began the gardening. As the kids got older the animal part got smaller and the garden got bigger," Lynn said.

However, she noticed as their children grew up that her husband was building stonewalls and putting up barbed wire. "I knew then that he had something else in mind," she laughed. John Holbrook, who had put himself through Brown University as a landscaper, did have something else in mind.

Six years ago they expanded the driveway to the road and set up a fresh vegetable stand. Three years ago they moved the historic Rippe Onion Barn from its location in Westport to their Bethel property and expanded their product line further. The other barn on the property arrived 30 years ago when the Holbrooks moved it to their farm from Cannondale.

The early morning dampness had crept into the barn but it did not discourage customers who knew it was the place for freshly picked produce in season, jams, jellies, pickles and new this year, Portuguese sweet bread.

Hanging from rafters are dried herbs, and shelves are filled with jars of hot peppers, juicy tomatoes and colorful flowers. For corn fanatics, John Holbrook drives every morning of the season to a nearby farm and brings back just-picked corn for customers. "By picking the corn himself, John knows that it is fresh every day," added Lynn.

While John was busy extending the gardens and planting crops, Lynn continued her retail craft business in Danbury. Earlier this year, the couple sold the business and now both work full-time at farming. This may qualify them for the most unlikely dual-career couple in Fairfield County, an area not generally known for its hardworking farmers.

Lynn confirmed that you have to love what you do. "We work at least 12 hours a day, every day, almost year round. We start with the seeds in early winter and it goes on from there," she explained. "We close at Thanksgiving and open up again in March."

When John Holbrook expanded the farm he began conservatively with the most traditional produce. "We had kale, different kinds of lettuce, corn and tomatoes," he said. "People can come in and pick what is ready. And we show them how to do it so they don't destroy the plants." A phone call to Holbrook Farms at (203) 792-0561 has a recorded message that informs the callers what crops are currently available.

Walking through the fields, John points out what's growing. In one corner there are onions and garlic. Domesticated dandelion leaves, chicory, three kinds of kale, beets, peppery mustard greens and the sophisticated raddichio can all be found here, along with enormous firm heads of iceberg lettuce. To find iceberg lettuce that is sturdy enough to withstand the vagaries of New England weather, in particular the scorching heat, is an unusual bonus and one that John Holbrook shows off with pride, along with the fact that no chemicals are used on any of the produce.

Interspersed with the vegetables are colorful arrays of flowers, including zinnias, snapdragons and dahlias. Lynn reported that the most popular flower this year appears to be the scabiosa, a pincushion-like flower. Another popular item, more commonly seen on the West Coast, are edible flowers such as calendula, nasturtium and pansies, which are decorative but can also be eaten.

The term "grazing," more familiar to restaurateurs than farmers, took on new meaning as we happily munched our way through the garden. The mustard greens proved to be the great surprise, with their peppery bite. Crisp snow peas were there for tasting along with fresh broccoli.

Contrary to the popular notion of minimal cooking for fresh vegetables, John shared his southern-born wife's recipe for kale. This is a green that remains unfamiliar to many East Coast residents, but one plate of Lynn Holbrook's kale might convert those skeptics. "Cut the big vein out. Then cook the greens for about half an hour in oil, garlic and chicken broth," he advised.

Our walk in the garden yielded other tips, including garlic tips. "I kept saying to myself, there must be some use for these," John continued, as he held up the garlic scapes. "We started putting them in spaghetti sauce while cooking it or serving them cut up fresh in salads. It is excellent. I hate to see things go to waste."

Another hint harvested from this expert is the bountiful planting of marigolds throughout the garden. John explains that these serve as "trap plants" which hide the good bugs that kill the harmful ones. "And don't plant all the same crops together, so if a bug infests one area, you don't lose the whole crop."