The 62-acre Beach Plum Farm in West Cape May was launched in 2007 as a way to provide local, clean produce for the Cape Resorts restaurants. What started as a modest operation—the first harvest included only tomatoes, squash and cucumbers—has grown to include more than 100 crops. And the concept of the farm has expanded, too. Since the space opened to the public in 2009, it has become a community hub and a serene place for connecting with nature and one another, usually over a meal of farm-fresh food and drink. Here, we lay out out some of what makes this place so special.
A.
Amenities. Beach Plum provides its own rosemary-mint shampoo, conditioner and body wash as well as lemon verbena body lotion to most of our Cape Resorts accommodations. You can take them home, too—larger sizes are available for purchase at the Farm Market, or online at BeachPlumFarmCapeMay.com.
B.
Barn. The farm is home to an Amish-built, post-and-beam barn that was built in 2015 with mortise and tenon and peg joinery. The frame—made from Pennsylvania hemlock, pine and cypress—was raised in a day and a half. Its rustic charm makes it the ideal spot for the farm’s Market and Kitchen.
C.
Chickens. They’re free-range. In other words, “We let them roam free, expressing their chicken-ness,” says Agricultural Director Christina Albert. “They have our enduring devotion.” And they love being fed by visitors to the farm.
D.
Dinners. The farm’s Harvest Dinners are a celebration of seasonal crops, featuring our farm raised meats, fresh produce, and garden herbs. Dine under the stars, or in our festive hoop house, depending on the weather. Beach Plum even hosts pop-up dinners on the full moons throughout the year. Reservations are required.
E.
Eggs. They taste better when they’re coming from stress-free chickens. And these chickens ARE stress-free—when they’re cozied up in their clean, airy coop, farm workers are sure to knock before entering, to keep from startling the animals. It’s no wonder the eggs are delicious in a Blue Pig Tavern omelet, on a deviled egg appetizer at The Ebbitt Room, or in your own kitchen—they’re for sale at Beach Plum Farm Market.
F.
Festival. The fall harvest season is celebrated every Saturday and Sunday in October, complete with firepits and s’mores, farm-fresh food, live music, hayrides to the pumpkin patch, and lots of activities for the kids.
G.
Guided tours. Included in your stay as a Beach Plum Farm Cottage guest! They happen daily for guests of the Cottages, and they’re full of fun info. Did you know that the long, shaded path that connects the front of the farm to the back was reconstructed using aerial maps from World War II? Or, take a leisurly walk around our Kitchen Gardens, and be sure to check out the Woodland Marsh Trail. It will take you past sweetgum trees with vibrant, heart-shaped leaves—Native Americans in the area once used the amber-colored sap of this species as medicine.
H.
Herbs and Honey. Beach Plum Farm offers at least 10 varieties of herbs at a given time — think thyme, rosemary, garlic chives, sage, three different kinds of mint and more. (And yes, the herb garden was constructed as a parterre, or a mirror image of geometric shapes.) Beach Plum Farm also harvests and sells its own honey from beehives on site.
I.
Immersive. An overnight stay at the Beach Plum Farm Cottages provides full immersion in farm life. Come for a relaxing weekend getaway, or immerse yourself in themed retreats focused on gardening, beekeeping, and more.
J.
Jam. You’ll find delicious fresh jams at the Market. Try the strawberry, red rasberry, or fig spread—each jar captures the fresh, sun-ripened flavors of our farm’s seasonal harvest.
K.
Kitchen. The Kitchen at Beach Plum Farm is open for breakfast (served all day) and lunch, with a menu that highlights the freshest seasonal ingredients. Farm-raised bacon and egg sandwich on fluffy brioche, anyone? Your meal—which you’re free to enjoy on one of the farm’s picnic tables beside a fire pit, or inside the farm’s rustic-but-elegant hoophouse—is prepared with ingredients grown right on the farm and thoughtfully sourced from nearby partners, ensuring that every dish tells the story of the land.
L.
Lavender. Beach Plum Farm makes tea out of its home-grown lavender, and also sells freshly picked bunches and sachets.
M.
Market. Beach Plum Farm Market offers fresh produce, eggs and herbs daily. It also features the farm’s turkey, chicken and pork cuts and charcuterie, and there is a second floor loft stocked with home goods and gifts.
N.
Nasturtiums. That’s just one kind of edible flower grown (and sold) at Beach Plum Farm. Keep your eyes peeled for (non-edible) dahlias, sunflowers, zinnias and evergreens. Or how about some blue borage, the garnish for a Pimm’s Cup cocktail? It’s best served on The Ebbitt Room porch, to a soundtrack of a clip-clopping, horse-drawn carriage.
O.
Overnight. Set a mile from the ocean on acres of farmland, the Beach Plum Farm Cottages embrace a feeling of simple luxury, nostalgia, and playfulness. A range of accommodations and amenities make them perfect for family gatherings, reunions, holiday celebrations, or relaxing retreats with loved ones.
P.
Pigs. Beach Plum Farm we raises Heritage breed pork. Heritage breed pigs are Old World pigs, which have been raised in the United States since the 18th century. Some of the breeds considered “Heritage Pigs” are Berkshire, Old Gloucester Spot, Tamworth, Duroc, and Hereford.
Q.
Quiet moments. Beach Plum Farm’s Reflection overnight package, available in the winter and fall seasons, combines in-cottage massage with yoga and thoughtful cuisine. It’s the perfect way to rest up with some self-care before or after a busy holiday season.
R.
Regenerative. Beach Plum Farm is proud to use regenerative agricultural practices. Regenerative agriculture focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing the ecosystem, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil.
S.
Students. Beach Plum Farm has become a destination for local elementary, middle and high schools, who organize trips for students to learn about the day-to-day operations of a working farm.
T.
Tulip poplars. These majestic trees will grow to be 90 feet high over the course of the next 50 years. “I may not be able to see some of the shade these trees provide, but someone will,” says Curtis Bashaw, co-founder of Beach Plum Farm. “I think if you’ve marveled at something elsewhere, being able to create that someplace new is a gift, and this land allows us to do that.”
U.
Under the stars. Over 80 miles away from the nearest metropolitan area, Beach Plum Farm’s evening skies are virtually free of light pollution—and every night, the stars put on a show. It’s the perfect spot to settle in by your cottage’s campfire and gaze up for some astral entertainment.
V.
Vegetables. The long and growing list includes kale, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, cabbage, onions, baby bok choy, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, squash, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips.
W.
Wine. Beach Plum Farm carries varietals from the Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery… because locally grown wine is perfect for pairing with locally grown food.
X.
Xylem. That’s the cell system in a plant that circulates water and nutrients. The loamy soil of south Jersey provides a ton of both to our crops.
Y.
Year-round. Because of the farm’s greenhouses, certain offerings are always available. Take the tomatoes— the farm grows several varieties, providing ingredients for, among other things, sauce for the pizzas at The Boiler Room.
Z.
Zero. As in zero synthetic herbicides or pesticides are used here. Ever. Other ways that Beach Plum Farm is sustainable? Cover crops are planted to sequester excess carbon into the soil. And because Cape Resorts’ restaurants are receiving most of their produce from this local land, they’ve seriously cut back on their greenhouse gas emissions — a mile-and-a-half is a short distance to travel to deliver the food.
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