HISTORY
We grow more than 50 varieties of fruit and veggies, including figs! We have approximately 60 acres under cultivation and employ 40+ workers in the height of the growing season.
OUR Story
Once upon a time, there was a farm owned by the Pyle family.
Around 1910 H.G. Haskell Sr. was working in Wilmington and he bought the Pyle farm along with several other small farms around it. He named this new farm Hill Girt Farm.
The big barn where we host the Field to Fork dinners was built in the 1600s and the NEWER part of the main house was built in 1816. The older part....? All the stone barns and stone walls were built in the 1920s and 1930s. Hill Girt Farm was primarily a Guernsey dairy farm until 1972 when the last of the cattle were sold by Harry G. Haskell Jr. The tillable land was leased to several crop farmers for the next 14 years.
In 1986 H. G. Haskell III borrowed equipment and planted his first crops on 6 acres with just two employees. Sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, raspberries, and asparagus were planted the first year. On July 6, 1986, SIW Vegetables opened for business with a picnic table in the shade of a large Sycamore tree along the road. It was self-service. The first day's sales brought in a little more than $11.00. How it's grown since then! In the years following, under HG, the farm went on to grow more than 50 varieties of fruit and veggies, including figs! The remaining land is pasture, hayfields, peony flower fields, forest, and flood plain.
OUR Story
Once upon a time, there was a farm owned by the Pyle family.
Around 1910 H.G. Haskell Sr. was working in Wilmington and he bought the Pyle farm along with several other small farms around it. He named this new farm Hill Girt Farm.
The big barn where we host the Field to Fork dinners was built in the 1600s and the NEWER part of the main house was built in 1816. The older part....? All the stone barns and stone walls were built in the 1920s and 1930s. Hill Girt Farm was primarily a Guernsey dairy farm until 1972 when the last of the cattle were sold by Harry G. Haskell Jr. The tillable land was leased to several crop farmers for the next 14 years.
In 1986 H. G. Haskell III borrowed equipment and planted his first crops on 6 acres with just two employees. Sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, raspberries, and asparagus were planted the first year. On July 6, 1986, SIW Vegetables opened for business with a picnic table in the shade of a large Sycamore tree along the road. It was self-service. The first day's sales brought in a little more than $11.00. How it's grown since then! In the years following, under HG, the farm went on to grow more than 50 varieties of fruit and veggies, including figs! The remaining land is pasture, hayfields, peony flower fields, forest, and flood plain.
2025 brought great change as HG retired from farming. Many acres of the farm are leased out to farmers raising both flowers and vegetables. Friends of the farm need not worry about the land as over 98% of Hill Girt Farm has had conservation easements placed on it preserving its natural beauty forever.
A new chapter is here, as the Ramsey family has taken over the produce stand as "New Roots by Ramsey's Farm". They are having a great first year and will return again in 2026 to bring locals their favorite locally sourced farm grown products. Additionally, the very popular SIW Field to Fork Dinners continued in 2025, albeit in an abbreviated fashion . HG plans to have a full slate of dinners in the summer/fall of 2026, so keep your calendars open, as we look forward to seeing you in the barn again soon.
2025 brought great change as HG retired from farming. Many acres of the farm are leased out to farmers raising both flowers and vegetables. Friends of the farm need not worry about the land as over 98% of Hill Girt Farm has had conservation easements placed on it preserving its natural beauty forever.
A new chapter is here, as the Ramsey family has taken over the produce stand as "New Roots by Ramsey's Farm". They are having a great first year and will return again in 2026 to bring locals their favorite locally sourced farm grown products. Additionally, the very popular SIW Field to Fork Dinners continued in 2025, albeit in an abbreviated fashion . HG plans to have a full slate of dinners in the summer/fall of 2026, so keep your calendars open, as we look forward to seeing you in the barn again soon.