Want A Farm As Your Wedding Present?

More than 30 years ago, dairy farmers Ward and Gwen MacMillen were all set for a tropical Jamaica honeymoon. But they never made it out of the country.

After the wedding, the MacMillen's made a difficult decision. Instead of going to a beautiful vacation destination to celebrate their nuptials, they decided to use their gift money to start up a vegetable farm.

And so the honeymoon was placed on hold, and Jamaica Dream Farm was born.

Piermont is lucky to have such dedicated farmers at their market; Jamaica Dream Farm is located in Maryland, NY—a three-plus hour drive—yet they are in Piermont every Sunday.

Farm employee Steve—who was running the booth a recent Sunday—packs up the daily wares and eats each week and heads to Piermont at 3 a.m. In total, Jamaica Dream Farm hits two other markets on Sundays.

"It's worth the drive—the people here need our fruit and vegetables," Steve said.

(There are some Nyack natives who lend Jamaica Dream Farm a hand, too. But knowing what time Steve and the others get up prevents them from voicing discontent about being out of bed by 9).

The farm is dedicated to catering to the down-state New Yorkers, although they travel all over the place (they even go further north to Utica). Jamaica Dream Farm notes they offer a quality of produce that cannot be matched by the myriad chain supermarkets in the region.

Jamaica Dream Farm sells fruit and vegetables that they grow on their own land and greenhouses. They have given up their dairy roots, now focusing on the crops. And though their produce is not certified organic like some other merchants, it is fresh and ripe (I brought home a cucumber and a red pepper, both of which made a most delicious salad).

According to Steve, the farm is in the process of changing hands. The MacMillen's—not newly-weds now, but parents—are getting older and have decided to have their son, Alex, take over. With the scarcity of family-owned farms left, it is nice to see one finding a way to survive.

Daily farm stands and local farmers' markets are what keep the farm alive, Steve explained. If it weren't for all the dedicated customers, Jamaica Dream Farm might not have made it. Many people come back week after week, getting the same things they love. Other curious shoppers often stop in and see what the stand has to offer—and quickly become regulars.

And, for those still wondering about that rain-check honeymoon: after four children and the farm, Ward and Gwen MacMillen have yet to make it to Jamaica. Hopefully they will get there someday—it is their dream, after all.