FreshDirect Sourced: Hepworth Farms
Hepworth Farms was established in Milton, New York in 1818, along the edges of the Hudson River about 75 miles north of New York City. Over the last two centuries, it has remained in the stewardship of the Hepworth family—these days, it’s led by seventh-generation farmers Amy and Gail Hepworth, along with partner Gerry Greco. This heritage alone is enough to make the farm noteworthy. But the taste their vegetables (of which they grow more than 300 varieties) is even more extraordinary. Normally, you’d need to comb farmer’s markets to find produce of this caliber. But FreshDirect’s long-standing relationship with the Hepworths means we can proudly bring their goods from the farm to homes across the greater New York City area while they’re still at their just-picked freshest.
WATCH THE VIDEO: SOURCED | HEPWORTH FARMS
Under Amy and Gail’s oversight, Hepworth Farms is guided by a mission: to center itself around the human connection to food. They coined a term for their practices—the “whole farm alive systems approach”—that sees each living entity as part of an ecosystem. For people, their role is to be “observant” of the larger natural forces at play. And for the people working on the farm, it’s “the human interactions around food that makes our jobs even more real,” as Gail says. “We’re providing food for people’s families and for people to eat, and it’s a big part of the motivation.
This work takes place on approximately 550 acres of biodiverse and nutrient-dense soil. Hepworth Farms is committed to dechemicalization and utilizing organic practices. They’re especially known for their tomatoes, with dozens of varieties growing in rows in a vibrant array of sizes, shapes, and colors. Each year in the late summer, they get snatched up as soon as they appear on the FreshDirect site. We also offer one-of-a-kind, no-subscription farm share boxes from Hepworth, which contain a rotating selection of seasonal vegetables. By trusting the farm to pick their very best, these boxes forge a direct connection between the land and the consumer. This relationship is truly meaningful because, as Gail explains, “supporting local agriculture is far more important than people imagine.”
A personal touch can be sensed in each piece of Hepworth produce—you can actually sense the care and effort that goes into creating such pristine food. We’re giving you an even closer glimpse into this labor of love in this edition of FreshDirect: Sourced. Watch the video above to see how the Hepworth sisters have built upon and furthered a remarkable legacy.
