Bulger’s Rivendale Farms moves into first year of operation

Tucked away in Bulger lies Rivendale Farms. Though it’s nestled in a small town, it has a mighty reach and an esteemed outside presence. Established in 2015, the farm – owned by film producer and Pittsburgh Steelers co-owner Thomas Tull – is moving into its first full year of operation.

The farm is the official dairy and ice cream provider of PNC Park and The Milkshake Factory.
Photo courtesy Rivendale Farms
Rivendale is home to more than 150 of the world’s finest purebred Jersey dairy cows, whose milk is used to create a range of premium products including ice cream, soft-serve ice cream, chocolate milk (preferred by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates as a recovery drink), and sour cream. The cows produce a particularly high-quality milk (higher in fat, protein and calcium), which is used in the products’ recipes developed by senior dairy specialist Tom Palchak of the famed Penn State Creamery. Currently, the farm is the official provider of ice cream for The Milkshake Factory, which has locations in the South Side and Downtown Pittsburgh and significant plans to expand to 25 stores over the next three years.
Rivendale’s farming practices are on the cutting edge, using new technologies and techniques from robotic milking systems to unique mobile, solar-powered chicken sheds. The farm sprawls, with several acres of sustainable and naturally farmed produce, a flock of Rhode Island Red laying hens, and a Sugar House, where it produces maple syrup and houses honey-laden hives. Chefs, including Trevett Hooper of Legume in Oakland and Julio Peraza of fl.2 in the Fairmont Pittsburgh hotel, source produce and eggs from Rivendale because of its care and quality, says general manager Christine Grady.

Rivendale Farms is home to more than 150 of the world’s finest purebred Jersey dairy cows, whose milk is used to create a range of premium products.
Photo courtesy Rivendale Farms
Something that truly sets Rivendale Farms apart from its fellow farms in Western Pennsylvania is its tie to the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture founded by the Rockefeller family. The nonprofit farm and educational center, located in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., and its partner restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, is led by James Beard award-winning chef Dan Barber, a longtime champion of working with farmers to create great produce. His influence is strong at Rivendale.
“We often get to test varieties that are being developed specifically for Dan,” Grady says. “They’re seeds or plants not yet available on the market. That’s very exciting. It’s a real differentiator for us.”

The farm has joined forces with James Beard-award winning Chef Dan Barber’s Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in New York to grow rare produce.
Photo courtesy Rivendale Farms
Some of the unique produce grown at Rivendale includes David’s Pocantico Purple Snow Pea, a variety bred by Jack Algiere of Stone Barns. Its name was a gift to David Rockefeller on his 100th birthday. True to its title, it produces a purple-rimmed, sweet, crunchy snow pea. Another is the Panther Edamame Soybean, a rare type of edamame, also from the breeding work at Stone Barns. It’s eaten fresh while still green, and when the seeds are allowed to dry, for saving, they turn shiny black.
Creating the finest ingredients is important to Tull, who along with his wife, Alba, is serious about eating healthy and being mindful of what we feed our children. “It’s part of what spurred him to do this,” Grady says. “He is very passionate about looking at the confluence of the economy, technology and natural farming practices, and making it more accessible for the broader community. It’s really nice to see this size farm preserved for agriculture use and organic practices being followed. It’s great for the community and the environment.”
On a mission to share the importance and benefits of sustainable and natural farming practices, Rivendale has created an educational, hands-on summer internship program. This summer, a few local students from Fort Cherry School District will join the team. They will be paired with graduate students from Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus and the University of Pittsburgh, and will attend educational workshops throughout the season. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids in the community to have access to some of the experts, including Jack Algiere of Stone Barns,” Grady says.

Co-owner Alba Tull feeds the farm’s flock of Rhode Island Red-laying hens.
Photo courtesy Rivendale Farms
A new project for the farm, Rivendale has begun to grow wheat from a strain from its partners in New York. Locally, artisan bakery Mediterra has been hard at work in the test kitchen. The outcome? Some amazing bread, Grady says, which will be available as an add-on to Rivendale’s CSA membership program available for sign-up through mid-June. Choose from varieties of vegetables, fruits, fresh flowers, eggs, honey and herbs, and make it customizable – the sign-up page allows you to list your likes and dislikes, and frequency to ensure as little waste as possible. The CSA memberships start at $25 per week and include delivery locations in Robinson, Sewickley, Morningside, North Side and Mt. Lebanon.

Herbs are among the bounty grown at Rivendale Farms, and are used by local chefs on their menus.
Photo courtesy Rivendale Farms
Also new this year, Rivendale is bringing the farm to the field – the baseball field, that is. As PNC Park’s official farm and dairy supplier, Rivendale is integrating its products into high-quality concessions for fans, the club’s charitable activities, and the rebranding of the suite level as the “Rivendale Suite Level.” As part of the agreement, Rivendale Farms has partnered with Pirates Charities to develop a Suite Patio Rooftop Garden, soon to be unveiled. The garden will be nourished by the compost byproducts from the concessions and maintained by Rivendale Farms, Grow Pittsburgh and Levy Restaurants. “Chefs will be able to pull product from the garden and incorporate it into the food that they serve throughout various aspects of the park,” Grady says.
Pittsburgh Pirates President Frank Coonelly is a fan of Rivendale and proud to team up with the farm to improve the game-day experience. “Rivendale shares our value of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, and we will work together through Pirates Charities on many community initiatives that do just that,” he says. Later this year, the farm will sponsor a host of Pirates Charities initiatives, including being the presenting partner of the Pirates Charities Golf Outing, the Pirates Charities Sporting Clays event and as a T-shirt sponsor of the Pirates Charities 5k/10k events.
Satisfying fans from all over, Rivendale Farms is certainly hitting one home run after another.
For more on Rivendale Farms or to sign up for a CSA share, visit rivendalefarms.com.