Hillandale Farms
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Local Farms Growing Healthy Communities

Farmers' Community Food Hub

A project of the Ayers Foundation, the food hub provides among the healthiest and freshest produce and meat in the northeast, made available to you locally in Rhode Island.

Get access to local and healthy meat and produce

The Food Hub is a consortium of local partner farms in RI, CT, MA and NY that sell USDA certified grass-fed beef, GMO-free grass-fed lamb, organic pork, organic poultry, and organic produce to restaurants, specialty markets, and consumers through their farm in Westerly, RI. While the vast majority of what we grow and offer for sale is certified organic, we do not discriminate against uncertified growers because we personally vet all of our partner farms and their practices. Also, you may be interested that we have begun adding to our farms’ credentials by transcending the conventional organic label under the auspices of the Real Organic Project (https://www.realorganicproject.org/).

Our food hub believes that creating a real-world connection to local food & farming is the best way to re-connect each of us to our bodies, good health, and the environment. So, come-on out to volunteer, participate in our educational programs (www.ayers-foundation.org), or simply for a visit.

Order online and pick-up in person – or have delivered if more convenient – to experience the taste and healthiness of a grass-fed piece of meat, locally grown seasonal produce, and so much more…. Collectively, we grow the best for YOU because YOU are what YOU eat!

Why Natural?

The food we sell through the hub allows everyday consumers to have access to healthy food that is fresh and tastes great! This means our food does not have GMO’s – GMO plants have their DNA modified in a laboratory. Some plants like corn are engineered to withstand glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-Up, which is a toxic, non-selective herbicide. 200 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed annually in the US. The corn and soybeans that go into conventional livestock feed are the most prolific GMO plants.

Organic is GMO-Free & fundamentally begins with healthy and biologically-rich soil, which is the antithesis of hydroponic or other conventional forms of “low-cost input” agriculture (e.g. CAFOs, synthetic fertilizers, etc..). We go to great lengths to ensure our practices are honorable and comply with national organic standards, now ROP standards, animals rights (Halal et. al.).  As the consumer, it’s important that you know we are adhering to the practices you expect when purchasing our products – healthy for the land, the animals, and the people!

Who’s Serving the Good Stuff? Through the Food Hub and our partner farms, we want to shout out some of the hospitality businesses that support our partners in the Food Hub by purchasing and using the local and regional food they grow and who care about serving their customers with the freshest and healthiest food available. The commitment from these small businesses is a tribute to the investment in our community and the health and prosperity of the people in it! Some local establishments include Engine Room Oyster Club CT Dog  Watch Cafe Noah’s Restaurant  The Malted Barley Westerly Shelter Harbor Golf Club Weekapaug Inn   Joyce’s Everyday Gourmet  Grass and Bone  Emelia’s  Stonington Pizza Palace  Atlantic Inn  Eli’s  Stoneacre Brasserie   And more!

Our Cattle

The food we sell through the Food hub must adhere to strict standards that even transcend the USDA organic label. The beeves are never fed grain, only grass grown on healthy, fertile soils. Our lamb are also mostly grass-fed, and in some cases, grain-finished. Our farms use cover crops (e.g. legumes), compost, and other natural fertilization. Our meat comes from several breeds of cattle that flourish on grass:

  • Red Devin
  • Herford
  • Angus
  • Red Angus
  • Pinzgau

Our Heritage pork comes from Berkshire and Tamworth pigs. Our partner farms’ pigs live their lives happily in a silva-pastoral setting (open woodlands), just like their wild ancestors, foraging for food.