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Blending Local Products And Entrepreneurship

photo by Photos Provided Showcasing some of his wonderful vegetables, Levi Baldwin has added jam to his list of products made at home and sold at his home stand.

Tuesday September 1, 2015

By Cookie Steponaitis

Levi Baldwin grew up with his hands in the soil and the family garden and learned at a young age seeds go in, roots go down and the rest is both nutritional and special. Levi started his own business stand at the age of ten and now seven years later he has grown literally thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables and acquired an impressive skill set concerning business, income, expenses and what ‘buying local’ means.
    “It started off a little rough this year,” shared Baldwin. “It got better after a very wet June and the gardens have really improved.” The gardens the teen gardener is referring to annually produce over 700 pumpkins and a bumper crop of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, squash, corn and more. The gardens are spread out over the family property and Baldwin grows food for his family and a growing market of consumers who want local, fresh and to know where their food was grown. “It really is important to support local farmers and produce,” shared Baldwin. “It is just as much about the economic aspect of the business as it is the nutritional approach to finding and choosing what to eat.”
    Baldwin is diversifying and added a line of jams this year to his farm stand located at 1772 Monkton Road, Vergennes. Open seven days a week and often a self-serve stop, Baldwin’s stand is bursting full of fresh produce and pumpkins are in a late summer growth spurt that will make them ready when it comes time for fall decorations and events. Baldwin’s business has resulted in lessons learned on the land and a set of life skills that will carry on far past the gardens he has carefully nurtured during his teen years. Baldwin is entering his senior year and is not certain yet where his future path will take him, but he is certain that no matter where he is a patch of land will be cultivated and fresh crops harvested.

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