DELHI – Off state Route 28 hides one of the more unique “farmstands” in Delaware County. Delaware Pantry, owned, operated, and curated by Lisa Robinson, is much more than a farmstand with shelves full of not only local food products, but coffee, jewelry, pottery, hand-turned wooden bowls and jars, pottery, antique home items, and more.
Robinson opened Delaware Pantry on River Meadow Farm, 21780 state Route 28, in 2021, with a vision of creating a locally-sourced food store.
“I envisioned double refrigerators, freezers, and building around local food,” Robinson said, but found her niche including curated antique items and other favorites of Robinson’s.
“It’s really exciting when people come in and you see this look of surprise and awe on their faces,” Robinson said, “It would be a misnomer to call it a farmstand.”
Robinson’s green thumb has allowed her to constantly produce a surplus of vegetables, which she sells in at Delaware Pantry.
Robinson’s husband Alex and his father Court share strong crafting skills, Robinson explained. Court, who is 97 years old, creates unique hand-turned wooden objects like bowls, rolling pins, jars, wooden eggs, egg cups, and more. “He uses over 20 different kinds of wood. It’s just spectacular looking at them all. I know - at 97, he’s becoming an artist. It’s really exciting.”
Alex, on the other hand, creates wood furniture to retail in the store, while also creating functional pieces for Robinson to use to display all other goods stocked in the store.
Robinson also stocks the shop with handmade jewelry by Susan Frisbee, pottery from Carlyle Bradford, and another collection from Rhonda Engel.
Robinson, in her continuous efforts to not only support local producers but local artists as well, said she often has art shows on display throughout the storefront for customers to view and enjoy. Currently, Elissa Gore’s Paintings of the Catskills are on display at Delaware Pantry, and will be until the closing reception on Aug. 12 from 2 - 5 p.m.
In addition to retail products, Robinson has opened up three acres of land to visitors to enjoy during happy hour events, or a scenic river walk along Hughes Brook and the Little Delaware River.
“It’s mellow at the end of the day. While I call it happy hour, it’s not really about the booze. There was a time when it would have been though,” Robinson said.
With a wide variety of carefully selected items to peruse, and three acres of open land to wander, Delaware Pantry proves to be much more than meets the eye.
Three Views of the Catskills - Paintings by Robert Axelrod, Neil Driscoll and Sandra Finkenberg will be on display Friday, August 18th, from 4 - 7 p.m. during a pre-opening happy hour. The opening reception is planned for Saturday, August 19th, from 2 - 5 p.m.
More information about Delaware Pantry can be found at www.delawarepantry.com
