Meet Trillium Hill Farm

by Carly Sehr Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - 09:31 AM
A person pulls a cart along a walking path through a farm. He passes solar panels and a greenhouse. A light snow dusts the field and fills the air.

Driving out to a Vermont farm conjures images of open landscapes and dirt roads – but Trillium Hill farm is incredibly easy to get to. They’re nestled right in the heart of Hinesburg, Vermont. If it seems odd to see working land tucked amidst apartment buildings, neighborhoods and corner stores, consider that James Donegan’s family has been working the land there for six generations. In many ways, Hinesburg is growing up around them.

A man weeds a row of vividly green spinach. He is wearing a light grey beanie, a dark gray sweatshirt, and jeans. Around his knees, there is a pile of weeds that have been pulled up from the row.

Being right in Hinesburg means Trillium Hill has a closer connection to its neighbors than some farms, and they enjoy having neighbors share the public walking path through the farm. There’s also a traditional family-run maple sugaring operation on the premises. “We do maple sugaring the traditional way, with horses and buckets. So I’m doing that with my brothers and cousins and mother and uncles, and family friends and neighbors,” James explained. The horses seemed a bit suspicious of our photographer, but tolerated us.

We visited Trillium Hill’s greenhouses on a late March afternoon that was emblematic of spring in Vermont. The sun emerged right as we arrived, casting a diffuse glow through the greenhouses, where we saw gorgeous greens in all stages of growth. Inside, we chatted with James about the Co-op’s many-year history working with Trillium Hill farm. “City Market has become a very consistent, reliable customer for us, especially in the shoulder seasons when we tend to specialize,” James shared. To our Members and customers, he added, “we only sell to City Market because you buy it off the shelves, so thank you.” By the time we emerged from the greenhouse, it was snowing – and still sunny. 

Trillium Hill salad greens are in our produce department right now – we love them in this Quinoa and Veggie Salad, a fresh vegan salad with lots of colors and textures! We also highly recommend Trillium Hill sorrel in this Spring Cobb Salad – its lemony flavor adds freshness and depth to a classic Cobb.

Huge thanks to James and all the folks at Trillium Hill for hosting us!