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03/02/2016 08:00 AMBreathing new life into their 60 acres at 362 West Elm Street, Deep River Farm owners Marissa Mathews and Kelly Simpson-Angelini are opening up the farm’s inaugural community-supported agriculture (CSA) share program to area customers.
Through the CSA, for 15 weeks starting June 17, Deep River Farm fills its customers’ handcrafted Deep River Farm CSA boxes with organic arugula, beans, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, hot peppers, kale, lettuce greens, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, zucchini, and more—whatever’s in season and some of which may be experimental in nature. The $550 shares will be limited to 50 customers.
Mathews explained that starting Deep River Farm has been a lifelong passion for her and Simpson-Angelini.
“We are so excited to be able to offer the CSA this year,” said Mathews. “We had been looking for a large plot of land in the area that could be used for agriculture and animals for a while. Only four pieces of land had become available for what we wanted to do in the past four years, so when we saw this one, we jumped on it.”
With extensive professional and educational backgrounds in biology, as well as backyard farming experience, Mathews and Simpson-Angelini are hoping the land and the business will eventually provide them with an active retirement resource that keeps them connected to the community for years to come.
“The reason we decided to offer a CSA is that there is not one available in this immediate area, and local is important,” said Mathews. “This will give people the opportunity to know where their food comes from and to be able to see how it is grown. We have priced our CSA shares so that the average American family can afford to purchase them and have fresh, healthy, locally grown food to prepare meals for their families.”
She added, “We are embracing what our own children already do, which is eat healthy, and opening up that opportunity to other kids in the community to do the same. We hope this is something the entire community can benefit from.”
The farm has already created seven new jobs, and is designed to grow in the future, but remain small enough to cater to its community customers.
Further adding to the community’s wellbeing, all CSA shares that are not picked up will be donated to local food banks and soup kitchens here in the surrounding towns.
In preparation of the first harvest, two 26’x100’ hoop houses on the property are currently being populated with seeds that will begin their lives in the indoor warmth. They will germinate and grow for the next 60 days, until it is time for them to be planted in the extensive garden areas of the property sometime in April.
In addition to growing vegetables and herbs, Deep River Farm is also home to a menagerie of farm animals, which is growing. Currently populated with 20 goats, a diverse flock of 20-plus chickens (consisting of Crele Orpingtons, Araucana, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, Brahma, and others), two peacocks, two barn cats, and a herding dog. However, there are currently 35 chicken eggs incubating and several pregnant goats, so those animal numbers will be increasing quickly.
Future plans for the farm are to hold community events, expand the CSA program to also include eggs and goat milk products as well as additional vegetables, and offer weekly newsletters, vegetable recipes, and expand farm stand offerings.
For more information, visit www.deepriverfarms.com.