Growing health and community through wholesome local food.

 
 
FARMSTEADHarrisdale Farmstead provides fresh, delicious farm-grown food for your table.

FARMSTEAD

Harrisdale Farmstead provides fresh, delicious farm-grown food for your table.

 

HOMESTEAD

Harrisdale Homestead conducts research on sustainable farming, and shares with future farmers.

Our Story

We are Ardy (Harris) and Gil Gillespie. Harrisdale Farmstead is our experiment in ecological and locally-oriented farming that we pursue on the building site of Ardy’s family’s farm. It includes a 1921 farmhouse and 1920 barn, both built by Ardy’s grandparents, areas that were formerly cattle lots, and the farm windbreak. We began this adventure in 2004 when we bought the six-acre place from Ardy’s siblings. A friend, LaVon Eblen, ran Harrisdale Homestead, a bed & breakfast and education center, here until 2014 when we “retired” here after spending 36 years at Cornell University.

We’ve made many changes since 2004. We’ve made some improvements to the house, repaired and re-roofed the barn, had a decaying corn crib and an old barn taken down, and built a new garage and workshop. Starting in 2015 we ‘ve planted about two acres of former cattle lots to a wide variety of fruit and nut trees and to various food-producing bushes and brambles. We have also been growing annual vegetables in the alleyways between the rows of trees and using row covers and plastic covering on hoops to extend our growing season. In 2017 we acquired a small flock of sheep for vegetation management, improving our soil fertility, and providing meat for sale. During the grazing season, we rotate the sheep through our farmstead and two others, using portable electric fencing to make small areas (paddocks) where the sheep eat down the vegetation before being moved to fresh forage in the next area.

What People Are Saying About the Farmstead Produce

 

““Jim and I had wonderful fresh greens salads for lunch! Thank you for growing the greens and the delivery!!”

— Vicki

 

“We have been both pleased and amazed to have become acquainted with the service, produce, and interesting educational updates that Gil and Ardy provide.”

— Warren and Amy

“I really looked forward this winter to the spinach being ready at Harrisdale Farmstead.  It is so sweet and fresh.  I love that I can get local produce from friends almost all year long.”

— Cathy

 

“Spinach update!  We had some Tuesday evening - it was delicious!!  Furthermore, the delivery man was very courteous and efficient!!”

— Winnie

When Gil Gillespie's truck brings a special delivery of anything from the Harrisdale Homestead, it makes my heart , tongue, and tummy happy! With spinach season abundantly producing right now, I eagerly wait for the "do you need some?" text from Ardy. I buy from Harrisdale because I know Ardy and Gil's integrity and growing habits. I trust that all the produce we buy from them is high-quality nutrition, and that's important to me. If you are not yet a customer, I urge you to become one!  The special delivery is just a huge, bright perk of their business!

-Kim

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