DINING

Profeta Farms to unveil new organic farm market

Susan Bloom
Correspondent
The 25,000 square-foot Profeta Farms Market in Readington features mortise-and-tenon construction and other design elements authentic to historic barns in the area.

Freshly picked, locally farm-grown organic vegetables all year-round? Organic meat, eggs, and dairy products from pigs, cows, and chickens that are humanely pasture-raised onsite? Certified organic homemade ice cream, rustic farmstead pizzas, fresh baked goods, and an extensive select of prepared grab-and-go meals?

It’s a food lover’s dream — and one that’s soon to be fulfilled by Profeta Farms, located on Route 202 in Readington. 

With the spring 2018 launch of the new 25,000 square-foot ‘Profeta Farms Market,’ currently under construction, the retail outlet will be among the only farm markets in the nation to offer such a full complement of certified organic food all grown at the farm, exceeding all USDA requirements and delivering new heights in the rapidly growing arena for fresh, local, and organic fare.

A greenhouse at Profeta Farms in Readington.

Labor of love

Though Profeta Farms had been owned by Paul Profeta for some 30 years, he’d long dreamed of operating an organic farm. In 2012, he and wife Joanne Malino, a certified integrative nutrition coach, agreed to pursue that shared goal and create an experience like no other. 

Hiring experienced organic farmer John Place to manage farm operations, the team committed to providing local residents with pure, healthy, and delicious organic food that’s sustainably grown right on their neighborhood farm, from their local property’s extensive variety of fresh and colorful produce and flavorful meat sourced from grass-fed chickens, cows, and pigs to the wholesome dairy products produced on the organic farm in nearby Nazareth, Pennsylvania, that they recently acquired.

The 25,000-square-foot Profeta Farms Market in Readington is slated to open in May.

For Profeta and Malino, purity and transparency are key tenets to their approach. 

“A recent exposé on organic food which appeared in a major national newspaper revealed that a lot of the organic produce currently available in our marketplace is imported from Romania, Turkey, and other countries and is subject to far less-stringent regulations and less-frequent inspections than in the U.S.,” said the 73-year-old Profeta, who described much of these products’ representation as organic fare as "simply fraud."

“When we open our new market, it will be one of the only farm markets in the nation to offer such an extensive selection of certified organic food all grown on the host farm as well as being a place where you can get to know the farmer and check the validity of everything yourself – e.g., that the chickens are cage-free, the cows are grass-fed, etc.,” Profeta said of the 1,200-acre property, on which more than 1,000 humanely raised chickens, 500 pigs, and 500 cows reside. 

The 25,000 square-foot Profeta Farms Market in Readington features mortise-and-tenon construction and other design elements authentic to historic barns in the area.

While the commercial real estate investor admits that he had no formal agricultural experience or training while growing up in the suburban metropolis of Maplewood, “this farm and market have become a cause and mission of ours because we think this is the way America should feed itself.”

Co-founder Malino agreed, adding that the market will deliver an experience true to the heart of Hunterdon County’s agricultural roots while protecting and championing the small independent farmer. 

“As market demand for organic food continues to grow, which is a great development, the fallout is that larger food processing companies are increasingly buying the smaller mom-and-pop operations,” Malino said.

But despite that trend, Profeta said, “we’ll never sell out. We’re on an idealistic crusade.”

Husband and wife Paul Profeta and Joanne Malino, owners/co-founders of Profeta Farms in Readington, pose in the greenhouse.

A colorful flurry of food

Profeta Farms currently operates a 500 square-foot market year-round that offers everything from numerous varieties of farm-grown, chemical/pesticide-free organic lettuces, kale, tomatoes, corn, broccoli, and watermelon to potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, and shallots (thanks to greenhouses outfitted with high-tech hydroponic systems in cold-weather months) as well as farm-raised beef, chicken, eggs, and pork.

Its new market will take that offering a step beyond.

“Our idea was to create a market that we’d want to shop at ourselves,” Malino explained. “We care about healthy and organic foods, nutrition, and animals, so we thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great to have the market we always wanted?’ and offer the highest level of purity in terms of the quality of the food and farming practices combined with convenience? 

Plowing the field at Profeta Farms in Readington.

"With all of the health issues being experienced today, people are increasingly searching for food-related solutions and these ideals are becoming more and more mainstream." she added.

The market will be housed in a sustainable, 25,000 square-foot barn whose architectural design and mortise-and-tenon construction (free of any nails or screws) “truly represents the authentic look, feel, and materials used in original Readington barns and honors the area’s proud agricultural history,” Malino said.

Inside, it will offer a colorful flurry of food and activity.

According to Profeta, “half of our selling floor will feature fresh, raw products grown on our farm, while the other half will eventually offer a variety of prepared grab-and-go foods made from our own ingredients,” including everything from roasted chickens and savory steaks to tasty side dishes, hearty soups, homemade breads and pizzas, fresh baked goods, and mouthwatering milk shakes and ice cream products.

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“In addition to offering convenient options that people can pick up for lunch or for dinner on the way home from work, we hope to engage new customers and show them that healthy ingredients can also be extremely tasty,” Malino said. “Instead of fast food or a supermarket salad bar, you can make a quick stop and get something great-tasting and really fresh.” 

Scheduled to open this May and ultimately create jobs for 100 area residents, Profeta and Malino, who split their time between residences at their farm and in Montclair, have great hopes for their new venture, which they envision could someday include an onsite farm-to-table restaurant. 

“We both feel that it’s critically important right now to help save consumers from the dangers of our food supply,” said Profeta, noting the irony of America’s current health crisis and obesity epidemic despite its great wealth as a nation. 

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“Our only hope is to totally modify our approach to our food and food sources, and that’s what we’re trying to do in our own little way with this farm. We hope that our progressive new market concept can stand as a model that other farms will replicate nationwide,” Profeta added.

“Once Profeta Farms Market opens to the public, we’re excited for people to enjoy the incredible taste, freshness, and healthfulness of our own local, organic food,” Malino said. “These products speak for themselves and will help people truly experience how great food can be.”

Take a taste

Profeta Farms is at 803 Route 202 in Readington. For more information, call 908-237-1301 or visit profetafarms.com. Until the new Profeta Farms Market opens this spring, consumers can purchase a range of organic farm-raised products at Profeta Farm’s existing farmer’s market, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.