A Sanctuary for Fresh Food

It's a sanctuary for food. A place to come on a cold January day to let the light seep into your soul while you enjoy farm fresh food. It's a place to experience art and love and the joyful sense of community. It is Water Fresh Farm.

Water Fresh Farm, located on Hayden Rowe St., has been in existence for 14 years as a commercial establishment, and in the making ever since Jeff Barton and Phil Todaro met in a seventh grade science class. They've been best friends since middle school, and continue to grow and change with their gardens.

Yesterday, they opened their first retail establishment.

"This was our first opportunity to sell to the community other than through the Farmer's Market," Barton said. "We have been selling our produce to places like Stop and Shop and Whole Foods for some time, and will continue to, but we wanted to grow the business into a new arena."

That new arena also needed to include hydroponics -the ability to grow plants in a water and nutrient solution, without soil.

Barton and Todaro learned about hydroponics from Merle Jensen, the mind behind the hydroponic gardens for the Epcot Center in Disney World.

"We took a class from Merle at the University of Arizona where he works," Barton said. "He has become a good friend, and was instrumental in creating our hydroponic gardens here."

Along with hydroponics Barton and Todaro wanted Water Fresh to be a place the people could come and feel at home while benefiting from the taste of fresh food.

"Our goal is to make the market a sanctuary for fresh food," Barton said. "Not to go too deep into the religious piece, but we wanted our food to be displayed in a barn, and we wanted the greenhouse to inform the kitchen and the kitchen to inform the greenhouse.

As a result a variety of new herbs, used in Water Fresh's sandwiches, were born.

Todaro and Barton also felt strongly about the look and feel of the space.

"We build a cupola, and these soaring ceilings. I mean, here we are in January and it's bright, warm and humid here."

Water Fresh is also a sanctuary of another kind. It's a living tribute to Barton's wife, Nancy, who passed away a year and a half ago.

"Nancy loved life, and she and I and Phil and Donna (Phil's wife) have been together for years; through high school, college and into our business lives," Barton said. "Nancy taught art here in Hopkinton so there is a corner of the store dedicated to her and art."

On the wall you will find a take on the poem "Ode to Happiness" which was Nancy's favorite poem, called Ode to Nancy. You will also find a photo of Nancy teaching as well as featured art work from local school children.

"The art work will change monthly to feature as many children as possible," Barton said.

There is also a corner of the store dedicated to giving; something Todaro and Barton feel strongly about.

The real value in Water Fresh Farm is in more than the magnificent taste of the food, it is in the overall feel of the space.

"We noticed yesterday that folks came here and congregated," Barton said.

Upon this reporters visit, many folks were gathered to experience the warmth of farm fresh food and frienship; a winning combination.

"Nancy taught me that the real value in life is in touching people," Barton said. "We're trying to have that tone here. We want people to look forward to coming here to shop."

To learn more about Water Fresh Farms click here.