Goshen Hill Garlic Farm

Most people who visit a small farm or peruse the produce at the farmers' market can't help but feel inspired to cook a delicious meal. For Paul Sellew, however, the motivation was the inverse; the reason Goshen Hill Garlic Farm exists today is because of one exquisite Italian dish he sampled as a young man. Paul was playing pro basketball at the time, and his job brought him to Italy. There he fell in love with a dish called Aglio Olio con Pepperoncini, meaning garlic with hot peppers. Shortly afterwards, he met and married his wife, Bonnie, and soon they began growing garlic in their Connecticut backyard. At first, growing garlic was merely a hobby and the Sellews grew only enough to feed themselves. But after they had kids, they moved to Carlisle, MA, bought an acre of land, and began planting in larger quantities.

For Paul, farming was a natural career choice; his family ran a commercial nursery, Prides Corner Farm, and he had a compost business called Earthgro. Bonnie did not have a farming background, but went to Cornell for business, a major that doubtlessly contributed to the startup and management of Goshen Hill Farm. Today their one acre yields enough certified organic hardneck garlic for them to have a business selling their beautiful Rocambole and Music varieties.  They also offer seed garlic for those who want to grow their own.

The Sellews' success is notable especially given the relatively short time that the farm has been in the family. When asked what she attributes to Goshen Hill's accomplishments, Bonnie immediately answers: "A love of Garlic. You have to love what you grow." Whether in eggs, stir-fries, or pasta, the Sellews eat garlic at least once daily. Another explanation of their success, she says, is that the farm is truly a family-run operation. Bonnie helps manage the business, Paul prepares the field, and their boys and the boys' cousins plant together and sell at the farmers market. Everyone pitches in. The Sellews also appreciate Red Tomato's role in marketing and distributing their garlic. "Red Tomato is very flexible and professional," Bonnie says, "They're just easy to work with." And, it doesn't hurt that the Sellews love being close to the earth.  As Bonnie says, "it's fun to work in the dirt!"