We believe that there is no better way to stay connected to the world and live a healthy life than growing one’s own food. At Center River we started by compiling a collection of cold-hardy fruits and nuts (zones 3-5). We are particularly interested in trees not commonly grown in Vermont, such as American persimmons, almonds, and many more.

We are also environmentally conscious, so we shy away from plants commonly deemed as invasive, and when possible go a step further by choosing to grow native varieties. For example, in terms of juneberries, we are focussed on growing Amelanchier lamarckii, native to the northeast, rather than varieties indigenous to other parts of the country or the world. Of course not all trees have a native version and we are also interested in non-invasive fruits and nuts, even if they do not originate in our region, as long as their presence here will not be harmful to our wildlife. 

     One day it became clear that our collection was too large for just us, so we would like to share some of it with you. We hope you share our enthusiasm!