NORTH SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Next Friday, May 2, arriving just in time for spring gardening season and almost 10 days ahead of Mother’s Day, the Baltimore Road Greenhouse & Farm will welcome customers for the first time.
The owners, the Cormiers – a family of five humans and two dogs – are still settling in, and are working around the clock to prepare for opening day. It is a lot to take on, but the family are no strangers to hard work. Matt and Cynthia Cormier previously ran a 100-acre farm in Maine, where they raised chickens, and sold eggs and home-baked goods at the farmers market in North Conway, N.H.
Along with their three children, ages 11, 9, and 7, Matt and Cynthia are looking forward to getting to know more of their neighbors, and the beginning of a lasting relationship with the Springfield community.
Many Springfield residents will remember Coger’s Sugarhouse and Gardens, which operated at this location for years and closed about a decade ago. Owners Gayle and Michael Morabito had been responsible for building the horse barn, the greenhouses, and the stone walls and steps that accent the hillside property. The house and pond were built prior to the Morabitos taking ownership, and the combined effort and consistent maintenance has kept the lovely, more than 21-acre property in great shape. The farm sits above the intersection of Baltimore Road and Routes 10 and 106, a gorgeous, sprawling space nestled among rocky, rolling hills. Matt said he was grateful there wasn’t much that needed to be done before the family could move in and get started setting up the business.
A contractor for more than 20 years, Matt had done a lot of work in the southern Vermont area. Cynthia’s sister lives with her family in Charlestown, N.H., and the Cormier family would come to visit frequently. Matt and Cynthia had always enjoyed the natural beauty and charm of the area. When they found the old Coger property, Matt remembered thinking immediately, “This is it.”
The main greenhouse is stocked full of plants and hanging baskets of flowers, and the inventory will evolve as the season progresses; soon peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and vegetables, and in the fall pumpkins and mums. Initially, the store will be selling Cynthia’s baked treats: sourdough and nut bread, cinnamon rolls, and homemade granola, plus the Cormier’s own chicken and pork, eggs, beef from local farms, coffee, honey, produce, cider donuts in the fall, and much more.
The couple said they want to hear from customers what people are looking for in their local farm store, then let that inform what they stock year-round. Eventually, they’d like to have a commercial kitchen built, open a small coffee bar, bring in dairy cows, and sell raw milk, but those plans will come to fruition further down the road.
Matt said the family is here to stay. “The kids are already enjoying helping out when they aren’t in school or doing homework. We think at least one of them will want to take over the farm when we’re ready to retire,” Matt remarked.
Cynthia’s sister is the mother of two older girls who will also be working at the greenhouse and farm, so Baltimore Road will be a true, family-run business. The Baltimore Road Greenhouse & Farm will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., at 15 Baltimore Road in North Springfield, a welcome addition to the Springfield area.