Silverbrook Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture Program

“Start a New Family Tradition at Silverbrook Farm!”
“Start a New Family Tradition at Silverbrook Farm!”

The Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet is a traditional farm with one eye proudly looking towards the future. In addition to fulfilling old world farm duties, Silverbrook Farm has community events, a visit from Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, an animal display, hayrides, and even a movie night! The common conception of a farm is a tract of land where vegetables are grown, harvested and sold to the public. Perhaps some livestock or fruit somewhere in the mix. If you think Silverbrook is one of these old-fashioned farms, you would be right, but you will also be pleasantly surprised!

Silverbrook Acushnet vista
View Overlooking The Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet, MA

Owner J.J. Pereira and business partner Nick Ciaccio take their role in the community seriously. They don’t want to be a place for you to simply get produce, pay up and then move along. They remember faces and names. They live right here in Acushnet, are part of the community and have chosen to play an active role in offering many fun events and family oriented activities. They want a relationship. Indeed, their motto is “Start a New Family Tradition at Silverbrook Farm!” They want to provide services that are not ordinarily found in such a rural community like Acushnet. Typically you have to head to the more developed areas of Fairhaven, Dartmouth and New Bedford for some of their offerings.


Silverbrook Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture Program
Are you concerned about your family’s health? Of course! If given a choice would you like to put the freshest, nutrient rich food on the family’s plate or food coated in unpronounceable pesticides? Did you know that the produce that you select at the supermarket is often picked before it has fully ripened, and the nutrients have peaked, so that it survives the trip across country? Even if the produce was to cost the same or a bit more, the fact that you are feeding your family a much nutrient richer food source without poisons that have to be rinsed off is a benefit that has no price. You can taste the difference in food that has been picked that day not a week earlier; when it has naturally ripened and it’s vitamins and nutrients have reached its peak.

Silverbrook Farm as many farms do these days offers a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) in addition to its foodstand or country store. You purchase a “share” which means you pay them ahead of time for their harvest. They do the work for you in planting, nurturing, growing and harvesting the vegetables and fruits. They then package them with other offerings for weekly pick-up.

Silverbrook Acushnet veggie harvest
Freshly harvested, organic red peppers!

In essence, it’s like having a farm yourself, without all the labor….and manure. By purchasing a share, you provide funding and capital for the farmer and insure that year’s harvest. This is also a contribution to local business which has obvious economical benefits. Often you will come across produce that you have never had or wouldn’t typically purchase and this means your palate gets to go on an adventure and your body will thank you! Need help with recipes? J.J. and Nick have that covered too!

What are some of these fruits and vegetables? Green and yellow beans, collard greens, green peppers, cucumbers, blueberries, basil, apples, beets, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, summer squash, sweet corn, potatoes and more! Unlike many CSA’s that solely offer fruits and vegetables, The Silverbrook Farm has other offerings that it places within the weekly pick-up. The Livestock CSA features grass fed beef, and free range pork, poultry and eggs.

Silverbrook Farm offers a variety of CSA’s. The one thing they all have in common is offering 17 weeks of fresh, nutrient rich produce, their newsletter, recipes, pick up in five separate locations, your SILVERBROOKer card, guidebook, private access to the farm animals and garden, and two complimentary admissions to the July, August, or September family movie night. NOT just fruits and vegetables. You can upgrade to the Standard CSA which will get you some baked goods, a fresh eggs option, 3 complimentary admission to the fall events, and a coupon book. Not enough? Then you can take the best package of all the MASTER CSA, which gets you everything in the standard CSA and membership in the Livestock CSA (Farm Fresh Beef/ Free Range Chicken), a Thanksgiving Turkey, and a Christmas Tree.

Silverbrook Country Store
Taking another step into the future, instead of a simple farmstand, Silverbrook has what they call a country store. This place is incredible and they have expansion already planned. Freshly baked pies, Emack and Bolios ice cream, jams, and flying under the Pereira Bread Co. label they have six varieties of bread to choose from, cookies, muffins, apple cakes, and even cheesecake! The store also has potpourri items, candles, Amish pasta sauce (not a misprint!) and a variety of other surprising items. I can’t imagine you’d actually need to continue on to Shaw’s or Stop & Shop after you’ve been to Silverbrook. You don’t even need to leave Acushnet! Silverbrook Farm also has a card that each “Silverbrooker” gets which will earn you discounts each week at the Silverbrook Country Store and at all Silverbrook Events including the family movie nights and many fall events.

Silverbrook Acushnet farm animals
Kids love the farm animals!

A Variety of FUN Activities & Cooking Classes
Reflecting the aforementioned old world values and sense of community, J.J. and Nick have other services and a variety of activities for the whole family virtually year round. Pony rides, Mother Goose Story-times, Hayrides (campfire, twilight and other), Kid’s Corn Maze, animal displays, face painting, pumpkin painting, barrel ride, movie night in the barn, freshly cut Christmas trees, and MORE. They offer some great discounts and deals for groups including Campfire Hayrides, Field Trip Packages, and a Birthday Package to make your little one’s special day unforgettable.

One of the most exciting offerings they have, is the cooking classes, where you learn to not only replicate the mouth watering dishes taught to you buy a local chef, but you can also learn to pickle and preserve! Preserving and pickling is a way to make use of fruits and vegetables before they go bad. It also stretched your wallet; instead of wastefully tossing away food that you can’t get to, you can preserve and pickle it all!

To top all of this off, Silverbrook Farm has some major events including a Mother/Daughter Brunch, a Harvest Festival, this year is the 6th Annual Great Pumpkin Festival (with donations to charity), and the 4th Annual Santa’s Farm Follies which features Grinch hayrides, a face painting elf, pony rides, hot chocolate, Smores, all the farm animals, and visits with Mrs. and Santa Claus! Be sure to check out their event page or Facebook page often for updates.

The Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet may be able to trace its roots as far back as the 17th century as we detailed in an earlier article. There is an incredible amount of history and tradition in this farm and J.J. and Nick are not only carrying that on but creating new moments with their innovative ideas, sense of community, and values. They really have something special going on and genuinely want you to be a part of it.

If you would like to know more about Silverbrook Farm you can check out their website, Facebook, e-mail them at thesilverbrookfarm@gmail.com, call (774) 202-1027 or (617) 834-5567 after hours or better yet, stop in for yourself at 934 Main Street, Acushnet!

Silverbrook Acushnet header
Silverbrook Farm Acushnet’s Pereira Bread Company

For more images of their country store and some of the delicious items offered, take a peek at the Fairhaven Guide photo album.


 

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