Mike Collins
The Old Athens Farm is a small family run VOF certified organic farm in Westminster, Vermont. Since 1989 Michael Collins has been dedicated to growing the highest quality produce for the local market. Our produce can currently be found at many local stores and farm stands, as well as at the Brattleboro Area Farmer’s Market and the Londonderry Farmer’s Market. Our specialty has long been early season greenhouse crops. We have developed a reputation for producing the earliest tomatoes and cucumbers year after year. When customers say, “Those tomatoes taste like real tomatoes.” I can proudly say that it is because they are real tomatoes, grown organically in rich dirt, tended with perfect care, and picked extremely ripe. Taste and freshness come first at the Old Athens Farm.
Years ago we were on a track to become a large greenhouse tomato operation. At that time we sold to a number of big Boston supermarket chains, but when we bought our land and moved from the Old Athens Road to our present location on Daigel Road, we decided that we had a good opportunity to reorganize our farm and renew our commitment to the local community. Now our produce can only be found locally.
Over the years we have been dedicated to making our farm as sustainable as possible. We heat our greenhouses with wood, and waste vegetable oil, gleaned from local sources. We also burn waste vegetable oil in our tractor.
Our community is important to us. Two years ago we teamed up with the Harlow farm to create a beautiful and productive garden at the Westminster Center School. We donate excess food to the school’s cafeteria and healthy snack program. We also work with local food banks to ensure our excess does not go to waste.
Offering our produce at a fair price has always been one of our goals. By fair we mean a price that our customers can afford, but also one that keeps our farm profitable. Recently some local stores have marked up our produce so extravagantly that it has become unaffordable to many of our loyal customers. As a result we recommend visiting our stand at the Farmers Market, or finding our vegetables at the North End Butcher, where we have a regularly supplied produce case.