The idea of farms diversifying their offerings is not a new one, but it's always interesting to hear how the concept is put into practice. After a challenging start, one Bristol farm is standing out with everything from grass-fed beef and laying-hens, to a sugar house that produces both maple and birch syrup.
The couple behind The Gateway Farm is Abby and Trent Roleau who both seem to have been born to farm. They grew up on farms (Abby on dairy farms and Trent on a diversified and maple farm) and have degrees in dairy farm management, diversified agriculture, animal science and community development.
In this podcast, Seven Days food writer, Melissa Pasanen tells us how the Roleaus came to purchase the farm, about the unique cows they raise, and the difference in taste between maple and birch syrup. She recently wrote about their approach to farming in her piece, "Young Gateway Farm Owners Build A Diversified Operation."
