In Dorchester County, Eric and Katelin Frase embark upon a new venture, vintage family farms, with a mission to preserve traditions and create a legacy of their own built upon hard, honest work
Written by Joe Willey
An heirloom is something from the past, treasured in the present. Land may be the greatest of all heirlooms. “We always want to leave the land better than we found it,” Katelin Frase says. She and her husband, Eric, own and operate Vintage Family Farms based on the premise that the history of the area’s farms and the families and friends who love them are worth preserving.
Photo by Jill Jasuta
The couple are both from the Eastern Shore of Maryland—Katelin is from Easton and Eric is from Preston. Their farm spreads across the northeast corner of Dorchester County, near Hurlock, on acres farmed for centuries. Vintage Family Farms is a new venture for both, but they embrace what farmers have known since the land was first plowed—farming is hard but rewarding work.
Committed to the health of the farm, the Frases will spend years restoring and nourishing the soil. Both know that the land and their customers appreciate their approach, so they use as few chemicals on their products as possible, always striving to use none.
VINTAGE BECOMES VIBRANT
It’s tulip season at Vintage Family Farms, but as the weather warms, so, too, does the opportunity for a vast variety of seasonal floral options.
Most people are divorced from the process of farming, so the Frases created a unique U-Pick option—flowers. Katelin was an environmental science educator for 15 years, so the U-Pick is the most enjoyable aspect of what the farm offers for her because it allows families to have a farm experience. U-Pick flowers are seasonal—tulips are ready from mid-March through mid-April, but the weather dictates when the bright, classic flowers are ready for picking. Other flowers, which include summer annuals like bright, joyful asters and autumn classics like sunflowers are available from mid-June through fall.
Since 80% of the floral industry products are imported and have a high concentration of chemicals to preserve them for an unnaturally long time, Vintage Family Farms is passionate about offering a natural alternative to families, local restaurants and florists.
TRUSTING THE PROCESS
The Frases will spend years restoring and nourishing their farm’s soil.
Fresh heirloom vegetables are Eric’s focus, especially heirloom tomato varieties. He appreciates good food and knows quality ingredients matter. The farm offers delectable tomatoes with names like Sunfired Flare, Green Berkeley Tie Dye and Large Barred Boar—all unashamed to look and taste different from the round, red and mushy kind found in commercial packages. In the first year, the couple planted 120 tomato plants. Then, it grew to 700, and now 900 plants are ready.
More importantly, Vintage Family Farms keeps alive the tradition of food grown in the area but forgotten for decades. There are few places where someone can find White Hayman sweet potatoes—once a staple and named for the sea captain who brought them to the Delmarva Peninsula in the 1850s.
Not only flowers and vegetables are available at the farm. The Frases also raise a line of heritage rabbits—Champagne D’Argent—that are historically significant. This breed is an original homestead rabbit used for pelts and meat. At 10 pounds, this sizable rabbit sustained farmers and families centuries ago. Now, Vintage Family Farms provides this breed to local restaurants and chefs who willingly appreciate the quality and care a family farm can provide.
History is alive and shows itself each season at Vintage Family Farms. The Frases treasure the land and the resources it provides. They have a focus and care that is unique today. The couple’s tireless work to preserve the land and its history encourages others to enjoy colorful flowers and quality food, but it also gives everyone a reason to value what is under their feet.