As part of our sustainability goals, we responsibly grow and source all of our animal proteins (inclusive of beef, eggs, lamb, pork, and poultry) within a few miles of the inn. Most of our produce comes from local farmers within a 25–30-mile radius. Furthermore, we are committed to eliminating harmful commercial cleaning supplies. They will be replaced with local easy-to-prepare natural cleaning products that not only include the two workhorses, vinegar and baking soda, but also include essential oils, herbs, lemon & lime that possess effective antimicrobial and antifungal qualities. This goal has been particularly illusive over the last few years; however, we’re fully committed to making this happen in 2024. 

 

Locally grown food looks and tastes better. The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheeses are hand-crafted for best flavor.

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Locally grown food is better for you. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.

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Locally grown food preserves genetic diversity. Smaller local farms grow many different varieties of crops to provide a longer harvest season, and the best flavors.

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Locally grown food is safe. There's an unwritten declaration that comes from the farmers’ and knowing how farmers' have raised their crops and where their crops have come from.

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Locally grown food supports local families.

We buy local because we know most if not all the farms and farmers where we buy our quality fruits and vegetables, flowers, herbs, eggs, chickens, beef and pork. And, we want them to continue to flourish in our communities.  

We want our guests to continue having the best culinary experiences and we accomplish this by sourcing the best local foods available. Buying local guarantees the freshness of food and produces a lower transportation and carbon footprint. We always buy seasonal fruit and vegetables, visit many of the local farmers’ markets and tailor our menus accordingly to align with seasonable produce wherever possible. See Our Physical Wellness Page for Insights.

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Rough-Sawn Native Eastern Hemlock Timber Frame Pergola

Criteria for Building Our Pergola (2019)

We wanted to extend the traditional timber frame construction used in the main house to the pergola using similar old-age methods of building with timbers that connect with mortises-and-tenons and shouldered joinery that would theoretically last a lifetime with proper care.

Find a highly skilled experienced timber frame or post and beam construction craftsman that could incorporate traditional design elements with graceful arches, curves and detailing.

Wood species selection: our builder’s personal favorite wood specie for this application was native Eastern Hemlock — recommended for its price, durability, local availability, relatively strong wood strength, stain acceptance, and is especially well suited for timber frame construction.

Gagnon Lumber, located in Pittsford, Vermont was selected as our wood supplier for two reasons, (1) all its wood supply is from Vermont forests, with over 80% of it coming from the county where we live. Most of their wood comes from land that is privately owned, including over 1,200 acres owned by the Gagnon family and, (2) Gagnon understands sustainable forestry and managing forests in a way that will not only meets our needs now, but also meets the needs of future generations, and they also support sustainability by using timber harvested from land enrolled under Vermont’s UVA (Use Value Appraisal) Program.

Three years later we are incredibly pleased with the additional outdoor space that the pergola and pea stone gravel patio provide, but the aesthetic beauty of fine timber frame construction is something that we will enjoy for many years!
 

Local Back Story

Eric Street, timber frame builder lives a few miles from Pond Mountain Inn. We met Eric though his parents, which are frequent guests of the inn. Eric’s wife Kristen, and their two young boys manage their small farm where they raise sheep, chickens and a variety of produce and flowers, all of which we buy. They are an extraordinary Vermont family that exemplify true happiness.   

Changing Direction… Sometimes We Don’t Buy Locally, But There’s a Reason...

We recently purchased another four Adirondack chairs for our new patio and pergola. Tired of repeatedly cleaning our beautiful oak Adirondack chairs—after thoughtful consideration, this year we selected POLLYWOOD Adirondack chairs.

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Why? POLYWOOD fits nicely with our overall Sustainability Strategy.  The company recycles an average of 400,000 milk jugs per day. Truckloads of recycled milk jugs are transformed into genuine POLYWOOD lumber which is then used to construct a wide array of their products. And, with a purchase of their new Ocean Chair they are able to transform over 1,000 ocean-bound plastic containers into outdoor furniture.