Adamah Foods is a value-based culinary enterprise born out of a desire to share the wonders and benefits of a sustainable food system. Built through the work of passionate farmers, chefs, educators, fellows, volunteers, and inspired community members, AdamahFoods has quickly become a leader in artisan-crafted, kosher cuisine. The ingredients we use reflect our values in the larger world. A significant amount of our produce is grown by our own community on our 10-acre organic farm in the Connecticut Berkshires.
We employ traditional season-extending methods such as greenhouse and hoop-house growing, lacto-fermentation pickling, cheese making, freezing, curing, canning and drying to bring farm food to the table year-round. We purchase local, organic, and fair trade products to promote environmental stewardship, vibrant local economies, good working conditions, and animal welfare. We source pasture-raised meats and poultry from Grow and Behold foods. Our ocean bounty is sourced using guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Blue Ocean Institute.
Adamah Foods nourishes every Isabella Freedman experience – whether you crack open a jar of lacto-fermented pickles, spread hand-milked goat chevre and small-batch local berry jam on some toast, or enjoy a whole weekend of Adamah food in our Falls Village dining room while on retreat.
Faith
Our tradition teaches us to honor the source of our food as the source of all life. Learn more about Jewish spiritual food practice in an article by Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and our broader values in an article by our own Rachel Jacoby Rosenfeld, Director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship. Our kitchen and dining room are certified kosher by the Hartford Kashrut Commission and supervised by an on-site mashgiach (kosher supervisor).
Our Farm
“וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ, זֹרֵעַ זָרַע: לָכֶם יִהְיֶה, לְאָכְלָה.”
(בְּרֵאשִׁית 1:כט)
“And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed–to you it shall be for food.”
(Genesis 1:29)
Our certified organic farm rests on 10 acres of fields, orchards, and pasture and grows a diverse range of fruits, culinary and medicinal herbs, perennial crops, and cut flowers in addition to over forty varieties of vegetables. The Adamah fellows tending the farm practice sustainable agricultural methods such as crop rotation, cover cropping, composting, drip irrigation, creating habitat for pollinators, and growing a diverse mix of perennials and annuals. Some of our produce goes straight from the fields into our certified kosher food-processing kitchen to make jams, cucumber pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, herbal products, and more. Our adherence to permaculture design principles and involvement in multiple conservation projects with the USDA ensure that the seasonal produce and Adamah Products we serve in the dining hall are both highly delicious and consistent with the Jewish value of environmental stewardship.
Our farm tours allow guests a firsthand exploration of the farm to table process, including the chance to meet (and pet!) the animals behind some of our sustainable agricultural practices. By the barnyard, our herd of 6 dairy goats and 10 young bucks is used to teach cheesemaking and feed the Isabella Freedman community. Meanwhile, back at the farm, our flock of fifty laying hens feed on food scraps from our dining hall and allow us to compost all of our food waste.
Can’t get enough of our produce and Adamah Products ? Taste the fruits of our land at our CSA in West Hartford and Falls Village, buying clubs in the New York and Boston area, and at Farmers Markets.
Feast
Our innovative chefs create farm-to-table magic. The ingredients we use reflect our values in the larger world. We purchase organic, local, and fair trade products to promote environmental stewardship, vibrant local economies, good working conditions, and animal welfare. A significant amount of our produce is grown right here on campus and we employ traditional season-extending methods such as greenhouse and hoop-house growing, pickling, freezing, canning, drying, and root cellar-ing to bring farm food to our table year-round.
Dining
Isabella Freedman serves a variety of delicious meals that are prepared with the highest-quality ingredients. Our lakeside dining room can accommodate up to 118 guests; we offer movable seating and either buffet, family-style or plated meals. For larger gatherings, an outdoor tent can hold up to 200 people. (There is a separate fee for tent rentals.) Our menus change to reflect what is in season. During the growing season, we serve fresh, organic fruits and vegetables straight from our own farm and orchard.
Kosher Cuisine
Our kitchen and dining room are glatt kosher under supervision of the Hartford Kashrut Commission.
Sample Menu
The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center is committed to providing you with glatt kosher wholesome food that is sustainably grown and locally produced when possible, while also providing a distinctly Jewish culinary experience.
Arrival Snack
Fresh baked cookies, Seasonal Fruit Display, Herbal Iced Tea (Seasonal), or Juice
Friday Dinner
2 Challot per table, Wine, Grape Juice, Homemade soup, Salad with choice of Homemade Dressings, and Roasted Chicken
Vegetarian: Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Sauted Greens with Garlic, and Homemade Chocolate Cake
Children’s entree available upon request: Pasta with Marinara
Saturday Breakfast
Fresh Fruit platters, Hard Boiled Eggs, Cold Cereals, Granola, Yogurt, Juices, Milk, Assorted Pastries, Tea, and Coffee
Saturday Kiddush
For an additional charge: Wine, Grape Juice, Fresh Fruit Platter, and Coffee Cake
Saturday Lunch
2 Challot per table, Grape juice
Wine is available for an extra charge of $10/bottle
Salad with choice of Homemade Dressings, Vegetarian Stew and/or Beef Cholent (Stew), Quinoa and Spinach Salad with Orange Honey Vinaigrette, Rosemary Baked Beet Salad with Maple Dijon Roasted Marinated Vegetables, and Wild Rice Pilaf
Children’s option: Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Potato Chips
Saturday Dinner
Salad with Roasted Peppers and Garlic Croutons, Marinated Vegetables, Tofu with Brown Rice Pilaf Quinoa, Basil Salad with Orange Honey Vinaigrette Hummus, and Pita Tuna Salad with Assorted Breads
Dessert: Ice Cream Sundaes with all the toppings
Sunday Breakfast
Lox & Bagels with Lemon, Capers, Onions, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Cereal, Granola Oatmeal, Fresh Fruit, and Yogurt
Sunday Lunch
Burrito Bar, Tossed Salad with choice of Homemade Dressings, Flour Tortillas, Southwest Black Beans, Roasted Vegetables, Basmati Rice Salsa, Sour Cream, and Cheddar Cheese
Our Suppliers
Find out more about some of our specific suppliers’ practices at their websites:
- Adamah Farm, Dairy, and Fermented Products
- We use Grow and Behold Kosher Pastured Meats exclusively!
- Stonyfield Organic Milk and Yogurt
- Dean’s Beans Fair Trade Organic Coffee
- Lundberg Family Farms Organic Rice and Rice Cakes
- Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic Bananas and Chocolate
- Red Fire Farm Organic Vegetables
- Once Again Nut Butters
- A.I. Foods Natural Kosher Cheese
- Feather Ridge All Natural Eggs
- Blends by Orly
