When New Yorkers Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge purchased historic Beekman 1802 in 2007 they had no idea it would launch one of the fastest growing lifestyle brands in the country. Located in bucolic Sharon Springs, New York, their place became the little farm that could.
The couple, which won The Amazing Race in 2012, soon launched their own reality show The Fabulous Beekman Boys on the Cooking Channel. Now the property and their products have proven that a farm can be much bigger than its fences.
“We grow about 80 per cent of the food that we personally consume on the farm,” Says Kilmer-Purcell. “The recipes we create for Beekman1802.com and our heirloom cookbooks really focus on using fresh ingredients. It’s wonderful to know that many people have been inspired to grow their own foods, or at least frequent their local farmer’s market, as a result of looking at the recipes.”
Beekman 1802 is a working organic farm. In addition to food, the owners make chemical-free soaps (seen below) from the Beekman goat’s milk as well as other eco-friendly products. “Our pasta sauces use heirloom tomatoes grown on small organic family farms,” says Ridge. “Twenty-five percent of the profits of the Mortgage Lifter sauces also go back to give other small farms a “lift.” Last year Beekman 1802 donated $18,000.
