Farm-to-table dining is a serious endeavor for Clock Tower Grill’s Rich and Cassie Parente – and they have the farm to prove it.

Farm-to-table dining is something of a ubiquitous turn of phrase in the Hudson Valley – and for good reason. In a region populated with an abundance of top-notch dining institutions, it’s only natural that they turn to local farms to supply them with the freshest ingredients around.

But how many of them actually have a farm to do just that?

For Rich and Cassie Parente, the co-owners of Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, the idea of owning a farm wasn’t the first thing on their minds. They had their hands full with running the restaurant, which has been operating in Putnam County since 2013. Yet when the opportunity for them to buy their very own farm just across the border in Sherman, Connecticut came across their laps in 2016, they knew it was the right thing to do. Plus, for Cassie, who grew up on a farm and already had a horse at the time, owning her own farmland offered the chance to put her farming know-how to good use.

“Looking for a place to keep her horse, [Cassie] said that it would be cool to raise animals on the same plot of land if we found something big enough,” Rich recalls. “She asked if I was interested, I said yes, and we bought a farm.”

While Cassie already had experience working on a farm, the endeavor was a new one for Rich, who cut his teeth working in executive-level dining and catering in New York City. Yet thanks to the network of farmers and industry professionals they had cultivated through the restaurant, they were able to find the knowledge and resources they needed to get Clock Tower Farm up and running.

“We had support from the farmers we were already buying from for the restaurant to help answer any questions, buy breeding stock, and get on our way,” Rich shares. “Cassie already had all the farming fundamentals, too, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount along the way.”

Growing With Clock Tower Farm

Over the years, the aptly named Clock Tower Farm has become just as essential for the restaurant as it has for the Parentes themselves.  Rich and Cassie use the farm to produce all the lamb and pork for Clock Tower Grill, and they’ve dabbled into other areas, too. While they started with cattle production as well, they later decided to stop that in order to expand lamb operations. They’ve also produced maple syrup since the outset and can do about five gallons of syrup per year.

In the last three years, their latest endeavor has been to produce their own honey. They have bees on the farm, and Rich admits that he’s done a deep dive into learning all there is about bees and honey production to ensure he gets it right.

On top of lamb, pork, honey, and maple syrup, Clock Tower Farm also supplies some produce, including peppers, tomatoes, squash, huckleberries, and peaches, to the restaurant. Whatever Rich and Cassie don’t grow on the farm, they source from local farmers, then bring it all back to the farm in the form of compost. A few years ago, they also installed solar panels to make their operations even more sustainable, and they’re now able to say that 98 percent of their energy comes from solar.

“We try to think sustainably in everything we do, whether it’s with the cleaning products we use or buying products that only come in cardboard or glass instead of single-use plastics,” he explains. “We compost, as the farm helps eliminate food waste from the restaurant. We go through about 50 gallons of compost a week, with anything edible going to feed the pigs.”

Throughout the year, he and Cassie oversee anywhere from 50 to 150 animals. While most of them are lambs, there are also a handful of horses, ponies, and two big boars who have been with them for about seven years. (The father-son duo’s names are Prince of Darkness and Bedhead, in case you’re wondering.) On top of that, they have five dogs, most of which are rescues and two of which are handicapped.

Farm Life

While that lineup is impressive, what’s even more noteworthy is the fact that Rich and Cassie care for the animals and the grounds themselves – and that’s while they’re running the restaurant.

“We do about three hours of work on the farm every morning, and then an hour at night, and then spend about nine hours at the restaurant,” Rich shares. “We start at about 8 a.m. – the animals are on our schedule. I enjoy the farm work and kitchen work equally.”

Although no two days at Clock Tower Farm are exactly alike, Rich notes that they are all eventful. After waking up and taking the dogs out, Cassie goes to the barn to feed the horses while Rich makes coffee. Then it’s onto changing the water for the animals and cleaning the stalls. Around 11 a.m., they get ready for work, where they stay until closing around 10 p.m. Of course, they’re not done yet, with around 45 more minutes of farm chores to do before they grab a bite to eat and hop into bed by midnight.

“Even on the days the restaurant is closed, there is no off day on the farm,” Rich observes. “That’s 24/7.”

Reaping the Rewards

Running the two operations simultaneously is no small feat, but what makes it all possible is the genuine commitment and passion the Parentes have for what they do.

“Everything about owning the farm is super rewarding,” Rich enthuses. “I’m just proud to be able to serve our customers food from animals that we know we have nurtured and raised to the best of our abilities, that we’ve given a good life.”

Since he and Cassie are so hands-on with raising the animals, they truly see them all the way through their life cycle. That even goes for the birthing process, which Rich admits he now has firsthand experience with, as he’s had to save and assist animals during difficult birthings in the past.

Overall, Rich shares that Clock Tower Farm has given him a greater appreciation not just for animals, but for life in general.

“The whole thing is amazing,” he reflects. “It’s amazing you can grow things out of the ground, that you can raise animals for sustenance. It’s life-changing to see the whole picture and see things that most people will never experience.”

A Bright Future

The Parentes have full plates, to be sure, but they’re also excited about the future, both for the farm and the restaurant. At Clock Tower Grill, Rich shares that there are several special themed dinners coming up that diners won’t want to miss. With Clock Tower Farm, he and Cassie are all about taking whatever steps they can to keep things headed in the right direction.

“Every year we try to make a positive change on the farm in an effort to keep things fresh and moving forward,” he says. “We’ve put up a greenhouse and added our solar panels. I’m not sure what’s next, but there will be something along those lines.”

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