Our Journey

Some people are born into farming. Others, such as Chris Brannigan, are called to it.

Over the years, Chris has let his fascination with farming grow gradually and naturally. Organically, you might say.

“What brought me to this beautiful location in the Northern Catskills was my love of growing and nurturing plants and trees from Mother Earth,” Chris says. “I can recall growing up in Newburgh, NY, and my parents having a small garden. I don’t really remember much about what we harvested, but I remember putting up the fence and tilling the soil, and it interested me.”

The passion grew as Chris began caring for his own vegetable and flower gardens, keeping detailed records of each plant’s progress. He had a knack for nurturing nature, and within him blossomed a desire to share the fruits – and vegetables – of his labor with others.

Late 2008 brought Chris’s move to East Durham, where he immediately set to work restoring a historic barn on the property. He also began tending to the fields. First came Christmas trees, flowers and a large vegetable garden. More recently, the farm has expanded to include about an acre of apple trees, a field of blueberries and even more vegetables. “Today, we also have egg-laying chickens, we process our own broiler chickens and we are raising three Tamworth pigs for both processing and breeding,” Chris says. The latest addition is an apiary, where the honey bees are busy!

With each step in the journey to breathe new life into East Durham Farms, Chris has stayed true to an organic approach, respecting Mother Earth and creating the healthiest possible products.