Producer: Joe’s Brook Farm
Location: Barnet, VT
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Organic produce
Website: joesbrookfarm.com
For Eric and Mary Skovsted, the desire to farm and tend to the Vermont land was an inescapable pull they initially resisted. After meeting in college, the pair tried on different vocations and locations before returning to Mary’s hometown of Barnet, VT. The anchor to their dreams and eventual farm came in the form of a beaten up farmhouse alongside Joe’s Brook. The farm was originally just one tomato greenhouse and an oversized home garden, but within four years they acquired land along the Passumpsic River to expand growing land to total 17 acres. In 2022, that land allowed for growing over 130 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and berries. Joe’s Brook Farm also expanded to employ year round and seasonal employees, including Eric and Mary’s daughters, Anna and Harriet, who can frequently be seen checking out customers at the Farmers’ Markets. However, the goal isn’t to continue buying land and increasing production. Instead, “It is a balancing act aimed at conserving our soil, maintaining a quality of life for ourselves and employees, and ensuring the farms financial viability, all while keeping the food we grow affordable and available to as many people as possible.”
Unfortunately, Joe’s Brook Farm was a victim of flooding in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom in 2023 and 2024, both incidents resulting in over 90% crop loss. In 2025, they published a highly regarded series of resiliency strategies to arm against future climate change events. It includes adjustment to growing techniques, an emergency harvest plan, and how to supplement income to pay employees in the case of crop loss. In true farmer fashion, Eric and Mary also couldn’t help but look forward to future seasons and the increased soil nutrients the flooding provided, ultimately gleaning rays of hope from a devastating situation.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
