Littleton Food Co-op

a community-owned market

Producer Spotlight: Gingue Family Farm

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Producer: Gingue Family Farm

Location: Waterford, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: sweet corn; under their NEK Grains label: flour, wheatberries, pancake mix

Website: ginguefamilyfarm.com

Around the Littleton Food Co-op, “Gingue” is pretty much synonymous with “corn.” While Gingue Family Farm in Waterford, VT does produce exceptional sweet summer corn, a more overall descriptive word may be “evolving.” The Waterford farm was first settled by Rosario and Marie Jeanne Gingue, immigrants from Quebec and current owner Shawn’s great grandparents, in 1935. From there, the Gingue Family Farm were prominent milk producers in the Northeast Kingdom. However, by the time the fourth generation was preparing to take over in 2014, the unstable and increasingly homogenized dairy industry meant that the current path forward was no longer a profitable way to survive. Shawn Gingue always saw himself continuing his family’s commodity dairy farm, but knew it was no longer sustainable, especially when thinking about supporting his wife, Sarah, and four children. The first step in the 2010s was transitioning from raising their own cows to raising dairy heifers for other farmers and diversifying operations through meat production and supplementing farm stand sales with other local producers. Then, Shawn, looking for yet another way to diversify the farm, took a chance and attended the Grain Growers Conference put on by the Northern Grain Growers Association and the University of Vermont in 2018. Less than 90 days later there was barley and Warthog winter wheat in the ground where the cows previously pastured. What is now established as the subsidiary NEK, was built from the soil up with help from fellow Vermont farmers and producers. As Sarah told Edible Vermont, “We had the mindset of going all-in and becoming self-sufficient, but we took the Vermont approach and developed the business incrementally.” 

In addition to the stability and increased margin dollars they find in flour and grains, Shawn and Sarah both appreciate that NEK Grains allows them to better track their community impact than when they were commodity dairy farmers. As Shawn told Seven Days, “The best part is being connected to the customers and to the product through eating the bread and pasta and doughnuts. And drinking the beer.” As long as we can still track their fan-favorite corn to the Co-op we’ll be happy.

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.

Producer Spotlight: 4 Corners Farm

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Producer: 4 Corners Farm

Location: Newbury, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Vermont-grown produce

Website: 4cornersfarm.com

Bob and Kim Gray have been together, as partners in owning 4 Corners Farm and partners in life, for over 45 years. They both grew up around gardening, with Bob’s family’s growing efforts becoming prolific enough that he was eventually able to bring some to the Brattleboro Farmers’ Market. Back then, the “eat local” movement was not popularized, and farmers’ markets, cooperatives, and the like were not mainstream. However, that farmers’ market showed Bob that making a living through farming was not only possible, and the market for his produce existed. Bob and Kim got their hands wet working on someone else’s Vermont farm in the Four Corners neighborhood of Hartland after putting an ad in the newspaper seeking land to farm on. After the landowner’s passing, they purchased 120 acres in Newbury, VT to build up their own farm – 4 Corners. 4 Corners Farm, now over 225 acres, is so diversified that, according to VT Digger, “a visitor’s head is left spinning like a salad drier.” And now, the farm and the Grays have become exemplary models for keeping a farm alive, accessible, and community-oriented for many of their Vermont peers. 

Farming isn’t the only thing the duo has excelled at in their lifetimes: Bob and Kim were both members of the U.S. Ski team in the seventies, competing in cross-country and alpine, respectively. Bob is a two-time Nordic Olympian! Going from Winter Olympics to successful farming with a peak growing season in the summer certainly wasn’t easy, but the couple is adamant they wouldn’t want it any other way. And this way, Bob still gets to ski in the winter 🙂

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.

Producer Spotlight: Joe’s Brook Farm

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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.

Producer Spotlight: Small Axe Farm

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Producer: Small Axe Farm

Location: Barnet, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Organic produce

Website: smallaxefarm.com

Small Axe Farm could be called the antithesis of big corporate farming not just because of their local farm status; their grounded, small-scale community approach reaches throughout their operations, philosophies, and even the farm design itself. Farm owners Heidi Choate and Evan Perkins own 45 acres of land, but conscientiously decided to only farm on one acre. Not only is that number far below the average farm acreage, but their chosen acre sits on a steep hill. The rest of their land remains forested and wild. Both decisions reflect their desire to work with the land, rather than tear against it. It also led to Small Axe being an off-grid, no-till farm and house. No till farming is a strategy to limit soil erosion, capture carbon in the soil to mitigate climate change, use less soil inputs, and use less petroleum-powered farm equipment. Evan, Heidi, and their crew have optimized their operations so that their small growing area doesn’t further limit their production. According to Perkins, they prioritize growing “high rotation crops,” and are able to turn over and replant a garden bed within one hour. 

While farming is their primary occupation, Heidi and Evan make sure to model for their son, Rowan, their employees, and other farmers that it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. In the winter you will often find the family on a lake in Vermont wild ice skating. Coverage of their balanced farm and active life has amassed Small Axe Farm a substantial social media following and coverage in Seven Days Vermont.

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.

Producer Spotlight: Meadowstone Farm

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Producer: Meadowstone Farm

Location: Bethlehem, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Produce, meat, and eggs

Website: meadowstonenh.com

It’s more than Meadowstone Farm’s proximity to the Littleton Co-op that sets it apart; although, the mere 2.1 mile drive makes it our “most local” farm. The first farming on the land known as Meadowstone Farm was dairy farming in the mid-1800’s through the 1970’s. The modern iteration of the land began in 2003 when it was purchased by current owners Tim Weinrich and Jess Griffiths. Teachers by trade, they transitioned to farm owners; however, they integrated their “past lives” by opening a private school, Woodland School, on the farm property. Tim’s original vision for the farm was to focus on compost, so as to have the widest impact on the local food system. In the early 2000s there were fewer major outlets for local farm-fresh food, and the community convinced Tim of the need to offer the North Country good food. On the same ethos of his original compost vision, Meadowstone continues offering seeds, plants, compost, training, home garden support, donations, and more to foster increased regional food independence. In Tim’s words, “It would be wonderful if Meadowstone Farm worked itself out of its current business because all of its customers produced what they needed.”

Meadowstone Farm was previously certified organic, but dropped its organic certificate in 2008. However, the change had nothing to do with a shift in the farm’s own standards and practices. Meadowstone opted out organic certification as a statement against, as they see it, a dilution of the organic standards by “big business agriculture,” and a focus on only eliminating certain ingredients, rather than a focus on making positive improvements. They continue to uphold their own “Beyond Organic” standards and prefer to be accountable to the community and their customers, rather than a certifying agency. Read more about the story behind “Beyond Organic” here.

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.

Producer Spotlight: Sweet Rowen Farmstead

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Producer: Sweet Rowen Farmstead

Location: West Glover, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: spreadable farmers cheese, bloomy rind cheese, cheese curds, milk

Website: sweetrowen.com

Dairy production has a long and significant history in the United States, which we celebrate in June with National Dairy Month. The recognition, dating back to 1937, was originally called National Milk Month, and was started to promote milk during a national surplus. Before modern refrigeration, milk was not popular with consumers in the warm summer months, but farm milk production continued. Today, we move beyond milk to honor the contributions of dairy and the hardworking people who stand behind it. Not only does milk and dairy offer nutritional value to a daily diet, supporting local dairy means supporting local family farms persevering in an especially difficult and volatile industry. At the Littleton Food Co-op, we are honored to support local and regional dairy producers, and are excited to share a glimpse at some of their stories in June and beyond.

Paul Lisai didn’t set out to be a farmer, let alone a dairy farmer. Growing up in Vermont, he wanted a sustainable, regenerative livelihood from the land – dairy farming just so happened to fit the bill. His eventual farmstead’s name came from his time working on other farms, when farmers would ask him to get the sweeter, finer second cuts of hay for their cows, also called rowen. Sweet Rowen Farmstead started in 2011 with eight cows, and now milks over 60 cows on 500 acres of crop and pasture land. The cows are neither Guernsey nor Jersey, but a critically endangered breed called Vermont Heritage Linebacks. Vermont Heritage Linebacks evolved from the Randall Lineback cow, a landrace breed. Rather than going through selective breeding, landrace breeds were allowed to adapt to the climate and environment around them – Randall Linebacks adapted to Vermont, and Vermont Heritage Linebacks adapted to the Northeast Kingdom. Perhaps that’s why their milk won the Best Quality Award for Vermont in 2024. 

In addition to providing the utmost quality for his cows and consumers, Paul has started numerous environmental initiatives on Sweet Rowan. The farm does not plow or till, which has resulted in an 0.5%-1% increase in organic soil matter, and catches water runoff to conserve resources, especially in droughts.

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.

Producer Spotlight: Huckins Farm

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Producer: Huckins Farm

Location: North Hampton, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: raw milk and yogurt

Website: huckinsfarm.org

Dairy production has a long and significant history in the United States, which we celebrate in June with National Dairy Month. The recognition, dating back to 1937, was originally called National Milk Month, and was started to promote milk during a national surplus. Before modern refrigeration, milk was not popular with consumers in the warm summer months, but farm milk production continued. Today, we move beyond milk to honor the contributions of dairy and the hardworking people who stand behind it. Not only does milk and dairy offer nutritional value to a daily diet, supporting local dairy means supporting local family farms persevering in an especially difficult and volatile industry. At the Littleton Food Co-op, we are honored to support local and regional dairy producers, and are excited to share a glimpse at some of their stories in June and beyond.

The story of Huckins Farm in New Hampton, NH goes back over 200 years ago, but the farm and micro-dairy we know it as today started to take shape in 1906 when it was purchased by the Huckins family. It continues to be family-owned, with Matty Huckins at the helm. She arrived on the farm with her late husband in 1988, with no knowledge or experience but a love for animals. Together, their mission is to provide wholesome, nutritious products for you and your loved ones while promoting education through workshops and classes as we work together to cultivate a more healthy, sustainable, and loving world. The farm specializes in raw, meaning unpasteurized, milk and raw milk products, firmly believing in the power of the probiotics and enzymes lost from pasteurization. Their 16 Guernsey cows, each with their own documented name and personality, go through pasture-based rotational grazing (except in the winter) and the care of a nutritionist. Approximately 128 acres of Huckins’ farmland is permanently protected from development through the local Lakes Region Conservation Trust. 

While holding strong through support from family and friends, Matty was still looking for a family successor in 2022. Her Lakes Region neighborhood has withstood the fall of local, family-owned dairies – unlike many New Hampshire areas – so she is hoping that she will be able to eventually pass the baton.

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.

Producer Spotlight: Butterworks Farm

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Producer: Butterworks Farm

Location: Westfield, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, heavy cream

Website: butterworksfarm.com

Dairy production has a long and significant history in the United States, which we celebrate in June with National Dairy Month. The recognition, dating back to 1937, was originally called National Milk Month, and was started to promote milk during a national surplus. Before modern refrigeration, milk was not popular with consumers in the warm summer months, but farm milk production continued. Today, we move beyond milk to honor the contributions of dairy and the hardworking people who stand behind it. Not only does milk and dairy offer nutritional value to a daily diet, supporting local dairy means supporting local family farms persevering in an especially difficult and volatile industry. At the Littleton Food Co-op, we are honored to support local and regional dairy producers, and are excited to share a glimpse at some of their stories in June and beyond.

When the Lazor family started Butterworks Farm in Westfield, VT back in 1976, there was no other farm they knew doing what they set out to do. Thus, with no map to follow to create Vermont’s first organic yogurt, they led with what they had: the values of self-sufficiency, value-added dairy products, and land stewardship. That led to a 400-acre spread in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont supporting 76 100% grass-fed Jersey cows and a position as a leader in the field of organic dairy. The cows produce high-butterfat and high-protein milk and yogurt as they are treated to high quality pasture, free choice minerals, and plenty of space to move. After the passing of Lazor family patriarch Jack in 2020, the next generation Lazors and owners came to the difficult decisions to sell the creamery and land. Butterworks was purchased in 2024 by Anthony Calderaro, a NH technology executive with an interest in healthy food. After the sale he told Seven Days “I was very excited about this farm because they do it the right way,” he said. “I have this huge passion to take this great product and take it to the next level.” 


The original Lazor owners, Jack and Anne, were honored with the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame lifetime achievement award in 2019. New owner Calderaro also told Seven Days he wants to continue the Lazor legacy and create a culture “where people enjoy working there and we pay them fairly, where people can go on vacation. You know, life can’t be just work.”

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.

Producer Spotlight: Hatchland Farm

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Producer: Hatchland Farm

Location: North Haverhill, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: milk and cream

Website: facebook.com/hatchlandfarm

Dairy production has a long and significant history in the United States, which we celebrate in June with National Dairy Month. The recognition, dating back to 1937, was originally called National Milk Month, and was started to promote milk during a national surplus. Before modern refrigeration, milk was not popular with consumers in the warm summer months, but farm milk production continued. Today, we move beyond milk to honor the contributions of dairy and the hardworking people who stand behind it. Not only does milk and dairy offer nutritional value to a daily diet, supporting local dairy means supporting local family farms persevering in an especially difficult and volatile industry. At the Littleton Food Co-op, we are honored to support local and regional dairy producers, and are excited to share a glimpse at some of their stories in June and beyond.

Some entrepreneurs have an internal battle on whether or not they should start their business before they dive in; for Howard Hatch, it required going through an actual war. Howard went to the Thompson School of Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire and worked on other NH farms as a herdsman. The Vietnam War draft changed everything. After serving in Vietnam in the 70th Combat Engineer Unit he knew he could no longer be someone else’s herdsman; he longed to work for himself on his own farm. He bought property in North Haverhill, NH in 1971, and by 1999 he was purchasing an additional property to expand operations. Not only did direct customers love Hatchland Farm’s milk, so did other companies; to this day, the milk from North Haverhill is sold under the Hatchland brand and under private labels for distributors in the northeast. The farm is home to over 600 cows, mainly Holsteins.

Perhaps most gratifying for the original Hatch patriarch: Hatchland Farm has remained a family owned and operated business. Howard Hatch now co-owns the farm with his wife and two adult children. Daughter Kristen has also spoken of getting her daughter, Emily, involved in the business to continue the local dairy legacy.

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.

Producer Spotlight: White Mountain Apiary

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Producer: White Mountain Apiary & Bee Farm

Location: Whitefield, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Honey, bee pollen, beeswax cleaning products, and other bee by-products

Website: whitemountainapiary.com

“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” (President Jimmy Carter’s message designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week; a celebration that was soon expanded to National Women’s History Month). We’re taking the month of March to highlight and celebrate just some of the great women who have made an impact on our modern-day food system. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

“To bee or not to bee?” That was (sort of) the question lamenting Janice Mercieri and her husband Joe for years before they officially opened White Mountain Apiary & Bee Farm in 2011 in Whitefield, NH. The duo quickly got to work and immersed themselves in bees and education; Janice even received a Master Beekeeping Certificate from Cornell University. Fast forward to today and Janice is perhaps the North Country of NH’s most called upon apiary expert. Janice and White Mountain Apiary wholesale bee products, retail bee equipment, grow queens and colonies for other NH and VT beekeepers, and offer classes and lectures on beekeeping, bee preservation, and more across the region. She acts as President of the North Country Beekeepers Association and sits on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire Beekeepers Association. She was awarded New Hampshire Beekeeper of the Year in 2021 and Coos County Business Leader of the Year in 2023 in recognition of her contributions to both communities.

The story of White Mountain Apiary & Bee Farm is one that demonstrates the opportunities that can come from taking a risk and pursuing a dream. The Co-op is proud to support Janice and White Mountain Apiary’s pursuit by offering a retail outlet for their locally-made honey and other bee products.

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.









Upcoming Events

 

Meet and Greet the Artist: Deidre Blair

Meet and Greet the Artist: Deidre Blair

Come meet the Sept/Oct featured Co-op Gallery Artist Deidre Blair in an intimate reception on Saturday, October 10th from 1-3PM
2026 Littleton Co-op Annual Meeting

2026 Littleton Co-op Annual Meeting

Co-op members are invited to join us Wed., October 14th 6PM at The Rocks for an evening of food, discussion, …
Screening of Italian Wannabe at Bethlehem Colonial Theatre

Screening of Italian Wannabe at Bethlehem Colonial Theatre

Join the Co-op and The Colonial Theatre on Thurs. October 15th for a screening of the documentary "Italian Wannabe" with …

View more events here!

 

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