Apple Street Farm

It’s sunrise at Apple Street Farm and Frank McClelland is admiring a serene scene that is reminiscent of his childhood in rural New Hampshire – standing within the dense vegetation of a plentiful field that is destined to enhance someone’s lunch or dinner.

As the proprietor and chef of an acclaimed restaurant and catering company that includes L’Espalier – Boston’s only AAA-Five Diamond establishment – today he imagines how the fruits (and herbs, edible flowers, eggs, and heirloom vegetables) of his labors can be featured on that day’s menus. By adding farming to his culinary repertoire, this hands-on chef rekindles treasured family memories – when “eat local” was an unconscious daily act as simple as walking outdoors to find a ripe and delicious vegetable, and then rinsing at the hose or kitchen sink.

And so he hoists his basket, grasps a stalk, begins his day…

In one of the country’s most ambitious sustainable agriculture initiatives for the restaurant industry, Apple Street Farm is the primary source of organic harvests for Chef McClelland’s famed restaurants, located just 26 miles south of Essex. He personally delivers his bushels of harvests to his awaiting chefs for them to feature in world-class dishes.

His revitalization of this two-century pastoral 14-acre equestrian farm is evident in the maturing plantings that have responded to this region’s abundant spring rains; and 2009 marks its first harvest season.

We invite you to visit our restaurants and taste the delectable surprises that our culinary team has created with these fresh ingredients. Apple Street Farm French Breakfast Radish Soup with Vidalia Onions and Stinging Nettles is just one of many dishes that can pop up on a menu.

If you are driving through Essex on a weekend and the gates are open, come to visit the Farm Stand at the Apple Street Farm to see what was harvested that morning.

Eat fresh.
Eat local.
Eat well.

EGGS!

Apple Street Farm eggs are available for sale! Eggs are $6/dozen and can be picked up from the sliding-door refrigerator in the cottage. Our hens are free-range, fed organic grains, and raised with a lot of care.

Seedling sale

This Memorial Day weekend we're having our 3rd annual seedling sale at the farm!

We're offering our own organically-grown flowers, herbs, and vegetable starts. We'll be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 10am-4pm each day, and on Saturday, we're having a farm open house: a cookout, band, farm tours, and more. Bring the whole family and stay for a while!

ESSEX FARMER'S MARKET

Visit us at the Essex Farmer's Market to purchase produce and eggs from the farm! Saturdays 10am to 2pm on Route 133 at Ebb and Flow.

Become a “shareholder” of Apple Street Farm. Take home the very best of Apple Street Farm’s heirloom vegetables, small fruits, herbs and flowers.

Vegetables include lettuce, salad greens, cooking greens (kale, swiss chard, bok choi, cabbages), onions (and others in the onion family - leeks, shallots, garlic, chives), roots (beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, etc.), tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, squash and zucchini, peas and beans, broccoli, and more.

At Apple Street Farm, some crops in the share are pick-your-own, like cherry tomatoes, peas, beans, and flowers. We'll keep you informed about those crops, where they are in the fields, etc.

Registration for the 2013 Produce CSA is now open! Complete the registration form to reserve your share.

For 2013, the Produce CSA will be $500 for the 20-week season. We expect the first pickup to be early-to-mid June and the season will run through October.
Pick up once per week on Thursdays from 2:00-6:00pm in the barn.

We are also offering a 2013 Poultry CSA. Enjoy a whole Apple Street Farm heirloom chicken every week (or every other week with a half-share). Our chickens are pasture-raised and organically-fed. Registration for the 2013 Poultry CSA is now open! Complete the registration form to reserve your share.

The Poultry CSA will be $450 for the 20-week season which includes a whole chicken each week, and will follow the same date range of June through October as the Produce CSA. Half-shares are available for $225 and will include a chicken every other week. As the season nears, we will alert half-share members of their pick-up schedule.
The Poultry CSA pick-up will remain Friday afternoons in the cooler from 2pm-6pm. If you cannot make it on Friday, you can come by the farm on Saturday. If you do not pick up by Saturday, we will move the chickens to the freezer, per MA state law.
We know our birds are expensive. But we are offering a source of protein that's raised in a radically different manner from any bird you'll find in the grocery store. And for taste, we think they can't be beat. To read more about our methods and what's wrong with industrial factory-farmed chicken click here for our Poultry Explainer.

Each month we will celebrate the freshest ingredients of the season with a special dinner showcasing the organic produce, poultry and eggs fresh from the fields. Arrive at Apple Street Farm and take some time to explore the beautiful grounds while enjoying a seasonal cocktail and hors d’oeuvres prepared by the chefs of L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre restaurants. Then, take a seat in the open air (or under a tent in the case of inclement weather) and enjoy a four-course meal with a trio of wine pairings.

June 21, 22 – Summer Solstice Reservations Available May 15
July 19, 20 – Firefly Festival
August 23, 24 – Brandywine Bash
September 20, 21 – Fire Pit Fiesta
October 18, 19 – Essex Harvest Feast

Arrive at the farm at 5:30pm. Dinner served at 6:30pm. Rain or shine. $180 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity. Space is limited. Call L’Espalier at 617-262-3023 to make a reservation.

Events at

Looking for an incredible venue for your next event? We are now booking events at Apple Street Farm. Click here for more information! To submit an inquiry for an event at Apple Street Farm, please click here.

DIRECTIONS TO THE FARM:

Apple Street Farm is located at
35 Apple Street, Essex, MA 01929

From Boston and points south: Route 1 North to 128 North towards Gloucester. Take Exit 15 for School Street towards Essex/Manchester. Turn left at School Street. Continue onto Southern Avenue. Turn left on Apple Street. Apple Street Farm is about a mile down the road on the left.

From the North: I95 South to Exit 54 for MA-133 toward Georgetown/Rowley. Turn left at MA-133 E/E Main Street. After about 5 miles, turn right at MA-133 E/Main St/Massachusetts 1A S followed by another right at Lord Square/Massachusetts 1A S. Turn right at MA-133 E/County St/Massachusetts 1A S. Turn left at MA-133 E/Essex Rd. Turn right at Western Ave and make a left on Apple Street. Apple Street Farm will be on the right.

Apple Street Farm • 35 Apple Street • Essex, MA 01929

info@applestreetfarm.com