Eastview Farm is a diversified, certified organic (Vermont Organic Farmers, NOFA) farm in East Hardwick, Vermont, owned and operated by the Lovinsky family: Jim, Mary-Ellen, James and Kathryn.

The Lovinsky family has grown garlic on Eastview Farm since the early 1990’s. We started as a young family with a dream to re build and re purpose an old and somewhat run down dairy farm. The working farm dream is becoming a reality. Our main crop is garlic. We cultivate varieties that acclimate best to our land and local environment. We work to produce bulbs with consistent size, flavor and quality.

In the spring of 2014 we started a small spring and fall greens CSA to balance put our seasonal production. We use an unheated high tunnel that extends the short growing season here in Northern Vermont. We grow vegetables three seasons of the year and work hard to provide as much of our own food as we are able to.

Besides growing premium seed garlic and season greens, we also grow herbs, heritage squashes and other mixed vegetables. We keep Alpine and Oberhasli goats, poultry, horses, and Scottish Highland cattle. The farm is the home of the Hardwick Garlic Company and Sylvacurl of Vermont. Our farm is growing stronger and more sustainable each year.

For more information about our farm please visit our website, http://eastviewfarm.com.

Our seed is certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers and has been tested free of garlic bloat nematode by Cornell University. Each year we save and replant only the healthiest and largest garlic bulbs. Every year we prepare the soil with green manure crops, a heavy dose of homemade compost and a customized mix of micronutrients. We grow our garlic on raised beds and fertilize it several times during the season.

The land used to grow our garlic was pasture for dairy cow herds from the late 1800’s. Today the soils are rich and dense with microorganisms, humus, and minerals. We have used organic practices since beginning to homestead farm here in 1989 and are vegetables are certified organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA VT).

In our quest for sustainability and low inputs on our hill farm, we currently raise a small herd of Oberhasli and Alpine dairy goats, a few Scotch Highland cattle, two horses and poultry. We use this unique mixture of our own composted manures along with dry matter, including Sylvacurl fines and wood shavings from our other business, and natural minerals and amendments to build soil fertility and feed our garlic and vegetables. We use green manure plantings in our crop rotations and plant strips of pasture grass and clovers between rows of garlic and vegetables to help with weed control, erosion and moisture retention. Our animals are raised organically with respect, love and the best care and pastures that we can provide. We work to integrate animals and crops so that they complement each other and believe that the animals are an integral part of sustainable and diversified farm systems.

We are working to be better stewards and are continuous learners. We plan to improve and bring back some of our older pastures in the 2014 season with rotational grazing. We set goals each year on our farm for projects that will improve crops, buildings and our land. Our fertile soils, long cold winters with lots of snow and sustainable practices grow a distinct flavorful garlic that we are happy and proud to share with garlic lovers everywhere.

We have been growing garlic organically and saving our own seed since the early 1990's. Over the years we tried many different varieties of garlic and many different growing methods.

Hardwick, Vermont is part of what is locally known as the Northeast Kingdom. We are listed as zone 4a by the USDA and our winters are long and cold with temperatures regularly reaching 30 degrees below zero. Or garlic is planted in October and overwinters in our climate, so we believe that it is hardy enough to grow just about anywhere .