The Anthill Farm began in the summer of 2007 when my three siblings, Stephen, Rebecca, Galen, and I collectively purchased an old dairy farm outside the town where we were all born and raised. Plans were immediately made to convert the 35-acre farm into a mixed vegetable, fruit, nut, and livestock farm.

With the valuable support and help of my family and friends, we have been pursuing and developing our plans for the farm. We now have 4 vegetable fields, multiple greenhouses, renovated housing for more ants, a woodshop, a wild assortment of esoteric machinery, a walk-in cooler, and about eight acres of fruit and nut trees to take care of — not to mention the recent addition of chickens, and bees! Needless to say, the colony is very busy and has become not only a farm, but also a burgeoning locus of community activity in Honesdale, and in New York City.

We are now focusing on producing high-quality vegetables, raising critters, and establishing orchards for the future. We are building the soil of our six acres of vegetables and marketing the produce to farmers’ markets, CSA, and restaurants both locally and in New York City. We are also interested in expanding our line of food products, which now includes pestos, pickles, maple syrup, saurkrauts, kimchi, and tomato sauce.

In the larger picture, we are excited to be a part of the growing movement toward local foods. It is our goal for the Anthill Farm to be engaged in the awakening of locality, raising consciousness about health, and spreading awareness of our environment.

- Sky Ballentine