5 Questions for Fable’s Owner Tom Deacon

We are happy to share with you the first feature in our “5 Questions” series! Today we have 5 questions for “Fable: From Farm To Table” owner Tom Deacon.

Tom is a Westchester County native who decided to open a farm right here in Ossining. Fable provides our community with fresh, delicious produce. We love that they are able to harvest crops year-round without the use of unhealthy chemicals or pesticides by combining old school agricultural practices with some new technological breakthroughs such as vertical and hydroponic farming. Let the interview begin!

1. Hi Tom! Tell us a bit about you.

I’m a native of Yorktown, growing up there until I was 18 and went off to college in California. After moving back in 2006 I made a serious effort to eat healthier. I was very concerned about the toxic chemicals in our food system. I began to notice that fresh, locally-grown produce was often not available in nearby grocery stores or restaurants, and if it was, it often contained harmful ingredients or pesticides.

With this in mind I started Fable: From Farm to Table to provide Westchester residents, restaurants, and grocery stores with fresh, healthy, and locally grown produce.

During my free time I enjoy eating at any one of our many local restaurants, kayaking on the Hudson River, hiking in the Catskills, or venturing on a road trip. In 2012 I completed my mission of traveling to all 50 states, including a cross country road trip from New York to Alaska.

2. Tell us about your business: Fable

Fable is a farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture. We believe that through dedication, hard work, and modern technological advancements in agriculture, we can provide the freshest fruits and vegetables all year-round without the use of harmful pesticides.

I started renting the farmland here at Fable in 2015 after growing hydroponically in my apartment. In the dead of winter I was growing lots of herbs and leafy greens for my family and I realized that I could supply the local community and restaurants with truly farm fresh produce year-round by renting some land and greenhouses.

Fable now has a new Marketplace, three full time employees, and some extra part time help in the summer. We specialize in free range eggs, field crops like tomatoes, squash, peppers, and garlic, as well as shoots for local restaurants. We also have a small apiary for raw honey.

One exciting new program we started this year was a twist on the typical “CSA.” CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” in which a customer pays for the next summer’s produce up front which helps the farmer through a tough winter season. The farmer then provides the CSA member with pre-selected produce throughout the summer.

We put our own spin on this by providing the CSA member with a Farm Card when the season starts. They then can pick and choose which produce they want, when they want it, and it gets deducted from their Farm Card after shopping in the Market.

3. What do you like about running your business in Ossining?

Ossining is a great location and has a number of amazing new businesses that have started up in the past few years. We are very excited to collaborate with them.

4. For someone not familiar with your business: what product/service do you suggest they try and why?

Since we started we have received a lot of positive feedback on our free-range eggs and our heirloom tomatoes. We specifically grow varieties of crops that are known for their flavor, rather than ability to be packaged and shipped. I believe this helps us stand out and provide high quality food for Ossining.

5. Give us your best Ossining tip or recommendation.

My best tip for someone coming to Ossining would be to try the food at Brother’s Fish’n Chips. It is simply amazing and if you’re in a rush you can order through their Take Out location right next door.

Thank you Tom!

Now, what YOU can do to support this local business:

1. Visit Fable: From Farm To Table. Fable is located at 1311 Kitchawan Rd, Ossining, NY. They have a Market on the weekends  and they the host Fable Fest twice a year.  Fable’s Fall Farm Fest will be held on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018. Guests can purchase farm fresh goodies, shop at local artisan vendors and feed the chickens, all while enjoying live music.

2. Join their CSA program. You can read more about it HERE.

3. Follow Fable on Social Media: You can visit their website HERE, sign up for their monthly newsletter HERE, and follow their Instagram HERE.

4. Share this interview and let your friends know about this great farm right in our backyard.