By David Beers

There is a growing air of expectancy at Husky Meadows Farm. As the natural world gradually comes to life, so does the farm. Not only are the crops greening up, but also a new venture, Seed and Spoon Culinary Retreats, is starting in June. Tracy Hayhurst, her crew, and many commissioned Norfolk professionals have been working toward this moment for years. 

The farm began selling its produce and prepared foods back in 2015. Its offerings have steadily increased since then to include honey, shiitake mushrooms, orchard fruits and eggs. In addition to the two-acre certified organic produce farm, there is an orchard, an apiary, poultry and a forested mushroom-log yard. From June through October, the farm operates a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. For $600, CSA participants get a weekly produce package of eight to 10 items, along with recipe suggestions. The farm has a regular weekly booth at the Norfolk Farmers Market and a farm stand that operates Saturdays from 9 to 12 a.m. when the market is not running in May, June, September and October.

All year long, the farm sells food online. You can order prepared meals, eggs, desserts, soups and baked goods online, Wednesday and Thursday, and pick them up on Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m.

Out in the fields and forests, Adam Buggy and Michelle Zhu are the farmers growing the food in a sustainably organic approach. Steve Archaski is the chef in the kitchen. Hayhurst has a background as a farmer and a chef, which allows her to work both in the kitchen and on the farm, coordinating the whole enterprise. The solar-powered farm has an extensive website that includes a weekly blog and emails.

The new Seed and Spoon Culinary Retreats will have up to 18 participants per weekend. Hayhurst stated, “We want to give our guests the opportunity to see firsthand all aspects of small-scale food production, through an engaging hands-on experience.” Every weekend will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at the farm. In addition to the farm’s vegetable, ornamental and wildflower gardens, the 300-acre property has a variety of forested trails. Guests can also enjoy canoeing on the adjacent Wood Creek Pond.

Each weekend will start with a Friday welcome dinner, with all meals served around a large farm table next to the spacious learning kitchen. After a light breakfast Saturday morning, participants will get a guided close look at the farm, followed by a hearty farmers lunch. Saturday afternoons will be devoted to learning about the unique theme for that week, along with some free time. It is back to the learning kitchen in the early evening to help prepare a distinctive farm-grown meal. Sunday morning is free time for sleeping in or exploring, with a final Sunday morning brunch. After brunch, guests can continue to enjoy the property and head back home at their leisure.

The accommodations are luxuriously comfortable, with a very rustic natural look, and plenty of windows and porches. In the new main building is the high-ceiling timber-framed learning kitchen and adjacent dining area that spills out into a south-facing sunroom. Adjacent to these common areas are two double-occupancy suites that can be connected for a larger group. Just to the side of the main building is the newly renovated “Chicken Coop,” which sleeps four, with a sleeper sofa in the downstairs living room and an upper bedroom loft. Across the parking lot is the Pergola Apartment, which has a living area, kitchenette and two bedrooms, each with their own bath. Weekend rates are $1,800 for double occupancy, $1,400 for single occupancy and a no-lodging option of $500 per person. All rates include meals and programming.

The weekend themes will change each week and will vary with the natural farm seasons of planning, planting, tending, harvesting and food preservation. Some weekends, the Husky Meadows team will bring in outside experts to guide the theme, thus tapping into the talents of local farms and artisans. The themes and the farming culminate each weekend with the intimate experience of making and sharing good food together.