If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a coffee, get some studying done, or indulge in fresh, seasonal food, Frog Hollow Farmstead Café is your next go-to. 

Owned by Janis and Jason Reinke, this café combines the warmth of a local hangout with the quality of a chef-driven menu, creating a welcoming space just a short drive from town. 

The Reinkes moved from Cleveland Ohio four years ago to build their dream farm, and they’ve poured their passion for food, community, and sustainability into every corner of the café.

Upon entering the Farmstand Cafe, you’ve met with a cozy farmhouse vibe. Wooden tables decorated with seasonal flowers, pumpkins, and beautiful rolls of silverware sit atop. 

Couples are occupied chatting over coffee, friends catch up over breakfast, and students settle in for a study session to the tune of classic songs like “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Georgia on My Mind” as it softly plays over the speakers. 

Multiple shelves in the corner of the cafe are overflowing with games; card games, board games, you name it. There’s even a big community table, perfect for groups. 

“One Saturday, not long after we opened, a group of eight or ten, I think Castleton students, came in and sat at the big community table,” Janis recalls. “They all got coffee and breakfast burritos, and they just stayed and played games. They were laughing and having fun and that has to be one of my favorite moments. That’s why we’re here and that’s why we have that big table,” she said with a smile. 

For Janis and Jason, seasonality isn’t just a trend; it’s a commitment to serving food that nourishes not just the body but the mind, rooted in a genuine respect for how food is grown.

“We live in a world where you can get whatever you want, whenever you want,” says Janis, who leads the kitchen. “Eating seasonally is definitely hard, but I feel like the seasons reflect what our bodies need. In the summer, there’s lots of fresh foods and vegetables and lettuce and it’s hot so you tend to want to eat food that’s cold, like greens, that are water dense. And then in winter, we naturally want those heavier, comforting foods,” Janis said.

The farm’s produce, all grown without genetic modifications and often heirloom varieties, makes up a large part of the café’s offerings. 

“For us, it’s important to know exactly where our food comes from, even at the seed level,” Janis explains. “The heirloom tomato seed that you might grow now is the same one that potentially your grandparents grew. Some of the seeds go back hundreds of years.” 

Janis and Jason also use open-pollinated seeds that need natural pollinators like bees. 

“For us it’s important because I just feel like the more we modify the food that we eat even at the seed level, the less we know about how it will impact us,” she said. 

That dedication to quality and seasonality has led to a lineup of customer favorites that change as the crops do. Currently, the breakfast burrito is winning over hearts and stomachs, and their freshly baked scones are close behind. 

The breakfast sandwich is also quite popular, having a “cult following” after it first debuted at the Middlebury Farmers Market, she said. 

With 26 five-star reviews on Google, Frog Hollow Farmstead Café has quickly gained a loyal following among locals and newcomers alike. 

“I think that having quality ingredients makes quality food, and people notice that,” Janis says. “It’s fresh; we make everything from scratch down to our dressings. We pickle everything by hand. I feel like that’s probably the big thing.” 

Janis and Jason want more Castelton students to come and visit café, “that’s why we put up posters about the student discount” Janis said. You heard that right, a 10% student discount when you bring your Castleton student ID. 

So, if you’re in need of a peaceful place to study, a hearty and healthy breakfast burrito, or a game of cards, Janis and Jason have made sure it’s a spot that’s welcoming to everyone, student discount included.