Black Dirt Farm is a diversified and integrated farm in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. We strive to use socially and ecologically regenerative practices to produce products and provide services of exceptional quality, all while keeping our operational footprint as small as possible. To do this, we attempt to mimic ecological systems and apply commonly observed principles. Our five farm enterprises - Food Scrap Collection Route, Layers, Compost, Worm Castings and Crops - are designed to dovetail, allowing us to flow value from one to the next. Together these enterprises also represent key aspects of an ecologically intact local food system, and allow us to reduce inputs.
Black Dirt Farm was started in 2014 by Tom Gilbert with a part time crew of two, 100 laying hens, 31 food scrap collection customers, a lamb grazing contract, 35 acres of hay and a big vision. Over the years, the farm has grown to support 6 year-round employees, 1000 laying hens, 6000 square feet of intensive vegetable production (including 3000 square feet of greenhouse), 85+ food scraps collection customers, 4 million worms +/-, and year-round production of high quality compost and worm castings.
We carry their eggs, which are produced by chickens foraged on active compost and pasture, and fed non-GMO grain, certified organic minerals, and oyster shells.
