The Farm’s Vision: Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit
Crown Hill Farm is more than just a house and a plot of land – it’s a story unto itself, both figuratively and literally. As the caretaker of this farm, Missy Singer DuMars sees her role as an extension of that ongoing narrative, and she wants you to be a part of it too. “Welcome,” she says, inviting you to immerse yourself in the sanctuary for community, food, animals, and a business that are all mindfully grown.
A visit to Crown Hill Farm is an immersion in a way of life centered around the connection between all the systems that sustain and enrich life. From the pastoral quiet that invites you into peaceful reflection, to the food that grew just minutes away from where it is eaten, the farm provides a nourishment of body, heart, and soul. Missy’s mission as caretaker is to extend this nourishment to everyone who comes to visit and stay.
Even though this is Missy’s first full-time farming opportunity, the spirit of continuous improvement and hands-on experiential learning runs deep in everything that happens on the farm. Drawing from the many chapters of her life, Missy channels a diverse pastiche of skills – a deep background in business and technology, a lifelong involvement in the arts, and a varied spiritual background – to cultivate an aesthetic sensibility, foster sacred awareness, and inspire leadership in every endeavor she undertakes.
Finding Farming: A Lifelong Passion Unveiled
Winding up in the farming world grew out of Missy’s desire to dig deep into health, wellness, and connection to the land. In an unconventional way, life at Crown Hill Farm is the sum of all the lessons learned along the way, fused with the incredible responsibility of working with the Earth’s natural rhythms. Every part of life on the farm is sculpted around conscious being, with extreme care and attention paid to empowering health, wellness, and simplicity.
Crown Hill Farm is situated atop a hill in Eden, New York, offering a panoramic view of Lake Erie on the horizon. The land is flanked by vineyards, an organic hay field, and rich hardwood forests, with a lazy creek running through the property where children of generations gone by would laugh and play. “When you walk the land, you can feel the history,” Missy says, as she’s been fortunate to know all the former owners back to 1948. The growing season is remarkably long, with a summer that has drawn people to the area for generations, always graced with a pleasant breeze and occasionally mercurial weather – qualities that are inextricably linked to the farm’s unique charm.
Missy never set out to be a farmer; it was never a dream of hers. Growing up as a suburban, city-girl, her outdoor play was limited to golf courses and manicured yards, with animals confined to zoos, not her backyard. Beyond the occasional houseplant, she had never grown a thing. Missy has had a range of careers, from the corporate entertainment industry to massage therapy and business coaching, but what has always led her is an insatiable curiosity and thirst to understand. Stumbling into growing food was a natural step in her quest to bring together more awareness of what goes into her body and creating beautiful, delicious meals.
Embracing the Farming Lifestyle
Missy was definitely hesitant at first, as farming was so far outside of anything she had ever done before. “I think it still scares me sometimes to take this venture on,” she admits. Every day, she thinks, “I have no idea what I’m doing.” Missy feels a deep responsibility to honor the sacred lives that are a part of this farm and often agonizes over every decision, unsure if it is a good, wise, or best choice. “I think most farmers feel that regularly, whether seasoned multi-generation farmers or new like myself,” she says.
Change is the one constant, but Missy has faith and trust in continuing to listen to what the land asks of her. Farming has been rewarding beyond what she could have imagined. She gets to be outside every single day, breathing fresh air and deeply experiencing the changes of season and cycles of nature. “I think that every lesson we need is available in the natural world – resilience, beauty, abundance, gratitude, growth, change, death, rebirth, and more,” Missy reflects. There is great pleasure in cooking food she has grown, and nothing is more rewarding than sitting down to a meal, looking at her plate and knowing every little detail of what went into that food. Missy is overjoyed to share that experience of delicious, simple nourishment of body and soul with others and witness their faces light up.
In some ways, Missy feels the farm found her. She and her partner at the time decided to move from Colorado in 2016, in search of a place with arable land, affordability, and access to an international airport. After spotting Crown Hill Farm on Trulia, it became the high bar for places to visit. After two in-person visits to view the property, as well as a handful of other houses, Missy and her partner knew that Crown Hill Farm was it. “It took me some time for my love affair with Crown Hill to develop, but here I am and the rest is history,” Missy says.
Guardians of the Flock: Maremma Sheepdogs
One of the main predator protection measures on Crown Hill Farm is Daisy, the farm’s purebred Maremma Sheepdog. Maremmas are an old-world livestock guarding dog breed, originating in Italy, and bred for centuries to guard large flocks of sheep on the plains and in the mountains. They are bred to withstand all types of weather and to take responsibility for keeping the flock safe from four-legged predators as well as two-legged thieves.
Daisy is “wicked smart, loving, wise, and lives with her flocks 24/7, 365 days a year,” Missy explains. Since Daisy joined the team, Crown Hill Farm has not lost a single bird to predators. Missy is grateful for Daisy’s unwavering presence and protection, which allows her to focus on the other aspects of running the farm.
Nourishing the Community through Wholesome Recipes
As Missy continues her journey of learning and growth on Crown Hill Farm, she is excited to share her passion for wholesome, delicious food with the community. Drawing inspiration from her background in cooking and her commitment to nutrition and health, Missy is eager to create recipes that nourish both body and soul.
One of Missy’s goals is to showcase the incredible bounty of fresh, local produce available through the farm’s community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. By featuring CSA-focused recipes, she hopes to inspire others to explore the unique flavors and nutritional benefits of seasonal, sustainably grown ingredients.
In the kitchen, Missy approaches cooking with the same sense of mindfulness and connection that permeates every aspect of life on Crown Hill Farm. She takes great joy in preparing meals made with the food she has grown, carefully considering each ingredient and how it can be combined to create a harmonious, satisfying dish.
Whether it’s a simple roasted vegetable medley or a more elaborate, multi-course meal, Missy’s recipes aim to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients, allowing the inherent goodness of the produce to shine. She is particularly passionate about using herbs, spices, and other flavor-enhancing techniques to create dishes that are both nourishing and delightful to the senses.
Fostering a Culture of Connectedness
Beyond the tangible nourishment of the body, Missy’s vision for Crown Hill Farm encompasses the nourishment of the heart and soul as well. She believes that the act of sharing a meal, especially one made with love and care, can be a powerful means of fostering community, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
Missy’s recipes are not just about the food itself, but about the experience of coming together, slowing down, and savoring the simple pleasures of life. By inviting others to gather around the table and partake in the bounty of the farm, she hopes to create a space for meaningful conversation, the sharing of stories, and the cultivation of gratitude.
In this fast-paced, often disconnected world, Missy sees Crown Hill Farm as a sanctuary where people can immerse themselves in the rhythms of nature, find respite from the stresses of daily life, and reconnect with the fundamental elements that nourish the human spirit. Through her wholesome, CSA-inspired recipes, she aims to inspire a deeper appreciation for the land, the seasons, and the communities that sustain us.
Conclusion: A Culinary Journey of Nourishment and Connection
As Missy continues her journey on Crown Hill Farm, she is excited to share her passion for wholesome, delicious food with the community. By showcasing the incredible bounty of fresh, local produce available through the farm’s CSA program and creating recipes that nourish both body and soul, Missy hopes to inspire others to explore the unique flavors and nutritional benefits of seasonal, sustainably grown ingredients.
Missy’s approach to cooking is infused with the same sense of mindfulness and connection that permeates every aspect of life on Crown Hill Farm. She takes great joy in preparing meals made with the food she has grown, carefully considering each ingredient and how it can be combined to create a harmonious, satisfying dish.
Beyond the tangible nourishment of the body, Missy’s vision for Crown Hill Farm encompasses the nourishment of the heart and soul as well. By inviting others to gather around the table and partake in the bounty of the farm, she hopes to create a space for meaningful connection, the sharing of stories, and the cultivation of gratitude.
In this fast-paced, often disconnected world, Missy sees Crown Hill Farm as a sanctuary where people can immerse themselves in the rhythms of nature, find respite from the stresses of daily life, and reconnect with the fundamental elements that nourish the human spirit. Through her wholesome, CSA-inspired recipes, she aims to inspire a deeper appreciation for the land, the seasons, and the communities that sustain us.
