Broken Shovel Farm

Broken Shovel Farm Broken Shovel Farm is made up of Dave, Elaine and our trusty farm dog in training Maisy. We will never use any chemicals or fertilizers on our soils or plants.

About Us
We have a strong passion for growing healthy food and a deep appreciation for farming life. Over the years we have become very successful at growing our own food that sustains us through much of the year. After an unexpected career change, we’ve decided to take our passion to another level and help provide our community with healthy food that is grown locally. About our Farm
We are careta

kers for a conserved farm in the town of West Haven, Vermont, and also lease the farm to grow vegetables and herbs to sell at nearby markets. Our farm, the Broken Shovel Farm as we’ve named it, has a very long and interesting history of people working the land. We hope to continue that tradition and honor those that have worked the land before us. Our soils are clay, which made us decide to use raised beds and build up our own soil utilizing composted cow manure from a farm located just a few miles down the road. While the land here on our farm is not currently Certified Organic, we are determined to only use organic methods in growing our products. During the 2024 season, you can find our products at the Rutland County Farmers Market in Depot Park on Saturdays from 9AM-2PM, We hope to see you at the market and look forward to sharing our yummy vegetables with you.

1st day at the market!! Woo come celebrate the 4th of July with all your favorite farmers and vendors!
07/04/2026

1st day at the market!! Woo come celebrate the 4th of July with all your favorite farmers and vendors!

Our first farmers market of the season will be next Saturday, July 4th, and you will now find us across from our usual l...
06/25/2026

Our first farmers market of the season will be next Saturday, July 4th, and you will now find us across from our usual location for the past 13 years. We’ll be in the spot long held by our dear friends Mary and Mort from Timberloft Farm who have retired after more than 40 years of farming.
Mary and Mort have been graciously offering their advice on gardening to me for more than 3 decades. As a little kid, I picked worms with my Dad in the early spring from the same fields Mort grew his flowers, garlic, and veggies. The Rutland County Farmers Market, which is the oldest farmers market in the state of Vermont, simply would not exist without Mary and Morts dedication. The Saturday market will not be the same without Mary’s yummy sweets, and Morts laugh and sense of humor. We will deeply miss their willingness to share their vast knowledge of growing plants and preserving food. They have been our mentor since we first decided to try farming for a living. Having the spot directly across from them at the market for these past 13 years has always kept us on our toes, worrying what the “experts” across from us think about our produce, and how it is displayed. They made us better farmers, and more successful at our market sales. We will be forever grateful for their advice and friendship over the years and we’ll miss them terribly. Thank you Mary and Mort!

Yesterday morning we decided to check the osprey nest on the navigational beacon located along the lakeshore just 100yds...
06/06/2026

Yesterday morning we decided to check the osprey nest on the navigational beacon located along the lakeshore just 100yds or so from the house. We were stunned to discover the nest has been completely removed! This happened over the past week as we’ve been closely watching this pair since they returned in April. They're likely the same pair that first attempted to nest here last year but failed. We've observed them incubating eggs over the last few weeks. No idea who did this, but suspect it was done by whoever is responsible for maintaining the Lake Champlain navigational beacons…maybe coast guard? Regretfully, we moved our game camera a day or so after the image on the 16th. This nest wasn’t obstructing any lights, or signage, and it was definitely occupied. It is a crime to destroy an active osprey nest and this has been reported to a VT F&W Game Warden.
It was amazing watching them build the nest from branches they broke from dead elm trees around the farm. We’ll miss the “I’ve got a fish, I’ve got a fish” display, which is the male osprey soaring up and down repeatedly with a fish in its talons singing “I’ve got a fish” over and over before finally delivering it to the female. We’ll also miss the osprey defending their nest from the pesky bald eagles which act more like bullies along the lake. The sky above the farm is a little quieter this weekend. What a huge disappointment.

04/10/2026

Are you a small farm that's looking to break into farmers' markets? Reach out here or apply at rutlandcountyfarmersmarket.com 10x10 space $200. Each Saturday, May through October, in Depot Park, Rutland.

Five years ago we cleaned up the remains of an old building along with lots of broken glass, nails, and cig butts from i...
04/08/2026

Five years ago we cleaned up the remains of an old building along with lots of broken glass, nails, and cig butts from illegal fires along our lakeshore. Mother Nature stopped by to give her approval!

04/07/2026

Buy local. Support your local farmer.

A little change over the past 10 years.
03/31/2026

A little change over the past 10 years.

Address

Fair Haven, VT
05743

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Broken Shovel Farm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Broken Shovel Farm:

Shortcuts

Share