Sullivan Farm in New Milford, CT is a great resource for the local community and New Milford Hospital's Plow to Plate® program which ensures that the hospital's kitchen is supplied with fresh farm produce.  Mark Mankin, self taught farmer and the Director of New Milford's Youth Agency which governs Sullivan Farm, is committed to growing
high-quality, chemical-free produce.  

Mark got his start as a farmer as a young, industrious, entrepreneur selling pumpkins and indian corn at a roadside stand at his family's home in South Kent.  In the summers following, Mark spent time out west at summer camps where he learned to grow and bale hay on a large scale.  Mark took a break from farming, but about 10 years ago started up Sullivan Farm.  Through the Youth Agency, New Milford middle school and high school kids have the opportunity to work at Sullivan Farm all year round.  From making maple syrup, bottling honey, seeding lettuce, harvesting pumpkins, and everything in between, students are given the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of farming.  

Community involvement is what makes Sullivan Farm the success story it is today. Beyond engaging many of the young people of New Milford, Sullivan Farm is also part of culinary workshops, community events throughout the year, a roadside stand, and it supplies restaurants and small grocery stores with fresh produce.

 Supplying New Milford Hospital evolved naturally because of another endeavor of Plow to Plate® - the Youth Chefs program - where Chef Anne Gallagher teaches middle and high school students culinary and knife skills using locally grown and raised produce.  Plow to Plate® and Sullivan Farm work really well together due to convenience (a literal 5 minute drive down the road), consistency, and the large amount of produce Sullivan Farm provides to the hospital through Plow to Plate®.  

Plow to Plate® is a great program and its success is determined by its relationship with the farmers.  Like most hospitals, New Milford Hospital works on a budget and therefore needs to find farms that can provide produce priced competitively.  Sullivan Farm is able to sell its produce at a price that benefits both the farm and the hospital.  In order for other hospitals and for schools to partake in programs like Plow to Plate®, more farms are needed in the area.  Large farms that grow a select number of crops, which allows them to price competitively, will mean that more institutions can take part in the local food movement!

A proactive and positive relationship with the Department of Agriculture and local government makes it possible for more farms to exist.  Passing land use regulations and pro-farmer ordinances are valuable pieces of legislation that promote farms and local, fresh food.  The state and local government have played a role in Sullivan farm's success, notably the recent selling of the development rights for more than 200 acres. Significant decisions like this have a positive impact on the community at large.

Last year Sullivan Farm supplied beans, lettuce, herbs, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, cress, squash, zucchini, and garlic to the hospital with more to come this year.