Kingsbury Market Garden

Aaron Locker, Kingsbury Market Garden

Kingsbury Market Garden in Warren, VT has been in operation since 2010, and was the first Vermont Farm Fund loan recipient after Tropical Storm Irene. It is owned and operated by Aaron Locker. The farm consists of 22 acres with an additional 8 acres of rented land. In 2016, Aaron started growing 2 acres of medicinal herbs, and expects the acreage of medicinal crops will grow to 8 acres in 2017.  All of the herbs are sold through the Vermont Herb Growers Cooperative. In addition, KBMG grows organic produce for local restaurants, stores and two collective CSAs. They also keep 10 brood sows and raise piglets for a local farmer.

KBMG came back to the Vermont Farm Fund for a $10,000 Business Builder Loan in 2017 to purchase a leaf separating machine. This machine will separate leaves from stems on crops like peppermint and nettle. Using this machine to separate leaves from stems is roughly 5-6 times faster than doing it by hand.

Herb processor in the KBMG barn

In 2017 KBMG expects to process around 4000 pounds of dried leaves with this machine, and also make it available to other members of the herb co-op for their use.