People often ask us about the bird on our logo. The first season (2014) at Upper Pond Farm on Sill Lane, Farmer Baylee had a lot of hopes and dreams, but not a lot of capital or tools. She had practiced organic agriculture using three sources of power or traction in Vermont.

Human power, where you grow a large and intensive garden with simple hand powered tools. Draft power, where you employ livestock to help you with heavy work like plowing, cultivation, spreading compost and manure. Tractor power, is a system dependent on motorized, usually fossil fuel powered, tools. Tractor power can be used sustainably, but heavy tractors compact soil, reducing soil health. Tractors separate the farmer from the soil. Farmer Baylee decided she would start her farm with human power.

One day while tending the lettuce, weeding it on her hands and knees, Farmer Baylee discovered some cleverly camouflaged Killdeer eggs. Killdeer are wonderful at disguising their ground nests (link here to more info), and often choose areas near humans to hide their eggs (find an article with a picture of their eggs here). There were four eggs in the nest, and soon a mother and father chirped and ruffled their feathers, defending the unattended nest. Baylee’s mother, Lynn (who does an excellent Killdeer call), taught her to identify and appreciate these small fluffy birds. Over the next month, Baylee tended the lettuce bed, not weeding or harvesting too close to the nest, giving the birds a bit of privacy. The eggs hatched and became little Killdeer, resembling puffballs on stilts. Still later that season the parents successfully fledged all four offspring.

To this day, many Killdeer nests are found on our farm. If Baylee used a tractor indiscriminately to cultivate our fields, she would not have seen the Killdeer nest. Through our connection with the land, we have learned to keep an eye out for the variety of creatures that call our farm home. Our growing practices consider wildlife part of our farm.

We cultivate a farm that is a healthy habitat for many species of wildlife. High biodiversity means there is usually a predator living on the farm to deal with our pests. We are thrilled to see snakes, foxes and hawks hunting rodents in our fields. Praying mantises keep a check on insect pests, and parasitic wasps target tomato horned worms. Using no poisons on our farm keeps predators alive and active. We farm with the ecosystem of our farm.

The Killdeer on our logo reminds us that every action and decision we make on our farm impacts our ecosystem. We have changed our name to reflect the growth of our farm but we have kept the Killdeer on our logo and remain committed to a farm that is a healthy home for baby Killdeer!

Thank you to Nora Lynn for her work on our new Long Table Farm logo. Thank you to Jac Lahav for encouraging us to tell this story.

Long Table Farm practices sustainable agriculture on Beaver Brook Road, Route 156 and McIntosh Road in Lyme, Connecticut.  Our home farm was on the Upper Mill Pond when we started farm in the winter of 2013/2014, but we expanded to Beaver Brook Road in 2016. We changed our farm name from “Upper Pond Farm” (which was tied to the main feature of our original field on Sill Lane, the Upper Millpond), to Long Table Farm in 2020. 256 Beaver Brook Road is our home farm and one of our CSA locations. If you are looking for us, check on Beaver Brook Road!

We grow seasonal vegetables and fruits on our 4.6 acre plot on Beaver Brook in Lyme. We also tend two land trust properties in Lyme. At the Bloom Preserve on McIntosh we are growing winter squash and garlic and Hand-Smith where we are reestablishing perennial grasses and have cultivated potatoes and sweet potatoes for 2022. We are so grateful to Lyme Land Trust for access to beautiful, flat farm land.

We use ecologically based agricultural practices to manage our farms holistically.  Top priorities are enhancing biodiversity, soil health and structure. We find that healthy soils grow high quality produce.

 Long Table Farm recycles nutrients, encourages composting on and off farm, and builds resilient systems.  We use preventative methods by building systems that are plant positive to avoid synthetic chemical treatment of disease and pests.  When your soil is healthy, your plants are healthy.

Long Table Farm invests in Lyme-Old Lyme's community.  We feed our community directly.  We educate our community by connecting them with the earth and food system. We donate produce to the Shore Line Soup Kitchen. 

Long Table Farm is operated by Baylee Drown and Ryan Quinn, with the help of Farm Manager Naomi Sudo and the support of many community members!

Baylee Rose Drown (she/her), is a queer woman farmer, educator and community builder. Baylee believes in good food for all people. For Baylee, this starts with caring for soil and extends into seeking justice in our land and food system. Sliding scale CSA, working with meal centers and acknowledging colonial land theft (our land was the home of Nehantic people) are all part working of towards an equitable food system.

Baylee was raised on her families' Holstein dairy farm in Michigan.  She earned a Bachelors of Science from Michigan State Universities' College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2009. This is where she first discovered land ethics and animal ethics, which inspired her transition from a conventional farmer to a regenerative farmer.

Baylee picked up the organic farming bug in Vermont, where she worked at Green Mountain College's diversified farm from 2009-2013.  During Baylee's time at Green Mountain she qualified the farm as Animal Welfare Approval and was active in the greater community by serving as a board member for the Stone Valley Food Coop.  Baylee earned her Masters of Science in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in 2014, as she was incorporating Upper Pond Farm as an LLC and turning the soil in Old Lyme for the first time. 

Baylee is a life long learner. Recently she completed courses on Uprooting Racism in the Food System, Holistic Management, Soil Health and Climate Change and Compost Facility Management.

Baylee enjoys mentoring and teaching all ages from apprentices and WWOOFers to Lyme Consolidated Elementary Students. She also presents on the subjects of grant writing, composting and integrating animal and plant food production systems.

Baylee loves bringing people together through farmers’ markets hosted at the Community Food Center, farm to table meals and volunteering with Connecticut Farmland Trust and the Connecticut Compost Alliance.

Baylee loves feeding people and being really tired and dirty at the end of a workday.  She also loves to teach, hike, fish, make cheese and cook. 

Ryan Quinn, known as “Quinn”, graduated from Lyme Old Lyme high school in 2003, then earned his BS in Biology and MA degree in Education from the University of Connecticut. He is Baylee's partner in farming and in life.  He has a rich and diverse background as a chemistry teacher, farmer, outdoor educator, carpenter, handyman and even as Chief Steward aboard the Kalmar Nyckel, a tall ship sailing out of Wilmington DE.  

At the farm Quinn loves finding the most efficient way to do everything.  He is constantly innovating and driving the farm forward.  He is responsible for maintenance and infrastructure development.  The farmers appreciate his sense of humor and commitment to community camaraderie.

You can find Quinn every Saturday at the Lyme Farmers Market at Tiffany Farms from June to October. He proudly sells our produce and brews fierce Ashlawn Coffee.

Luca is a cattle dog, Anatolian Shepherd mix from a southern rescue.  He kicks all predators off the farm, herds when asked and keeps us laughing with his antics.  Maria, our esteemed dog matriarch who passed in 2021, taught him how to hunt and now he is a proficient Vole Eradicator. 

Luca is teaching Witch and Cheeks, our new Carolina Dogs, how to be amazing farm dogs. They have learned a lot in the last two months. Witch and Cheeks are sisters from the same litter, and their mother, Bandit, is looking for her forever home. She has the same cuddly, outgoing personality as Cheeks. Cheeks and Witch’s uncle Tengu, full brother to Bandit, was the UKC champion Carolina Dog in 2021. We are hoping that Witch and Cheeks can help Luca keep up with organic pest control on the farm. They are both proficient herders of ducks and are finding their rolls on the farm.

Winter/Spring Farmers Market (January-June)

Community Food Center Fall Market at Long Table Farm

Join Long Table Farm as well as several area farmers, makers and bakers select Saturdays from 10AM-1PM at 256 Beaver Brook Road in Lyme. The beautiful new barn will provide a warm, weather proof space for everyone to gather and enjoy the fruits of Lyme Farmer’s labors. Bathroom available and farm grounds open for exploring.

Our Spring Market will be open February 24th, March 9th and 23rd, April 6th, 20th and 27th and every Saturday from May until Thanksgiving. 10AM-1PM with guest vendors weekly. Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on guests. Direction here.

Summer Farmers Markets (June-October)

The Farmers Market at Tiffany Farms (in Lyme on Rt 156) on Saturdays from 9AM to 12:30PM

Chester Summer Farmers Market (Downtown Chester) on Sundays from 10AM-1PM 

Wholesale

Our customers include New London Community Meal Centers, The Essex and Food Works.

If you are a restaurant or grocer, please contact Baylee at (616) 292-3311, or upperpondfarm@gmail.com, about sourcing our products. 

You can be one of our customers directly by joining our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) as a member.  Details available under the CSA tab.

If you don’t see us at these locations, we might be at our field on MacIntosh Rd farming along side the 8 Mile River. Our farm on Beaver Brook Road is usually where we can be found; in the field, office or greenhouses. Text or email Baylee at 616 292 3311 or longtablefarmct@gmail.com.

Wow! Thank you to all the journalist and photographers that have been reporting on our farm for the last 10 years. Here is an incomplete list of their works.

“Inherent Value” by Sean Gargamelli-McCreight, March 2024

The Day 2022

USDA Article

CT Examiner CSA Farms

CT Farmland Trust Preservation

Lyme Farmers Market

CT Department of Agriculture Newsletter

LymeLine Plow Day

Working Lands Alliance Farmland Access for Beginning Farmers

Child and Family Agency Fund Raiser at our farm

Kickstarted to build our first greenhouse

Farming presentation at the Florence Griswold Museum

Shoreline Times Article on Microgreens

Zip article on Microgreens

New London Day Article about Season Extension

New London Day first article about the farm

Naomi is a first generation farmer. She grew up in NYC and attended Vassar College. Naomi has been a professional vegetable grower for 7 years, and brings a diversity of farm experiences to Long Table. Naomi loves growing tomatoes, baking and spending time with family.