Topic: Organic Farmers

Boston Organics + Farmers Markets = A Match Made in Food Heaven!

Farmers market season is on the horizon, and we know everyone is excited to see what local farms are bringing in from the fields. While you might feel like you need to drop your Boston Organics account to take advantage of the market, we think there can be a pretty neat symbiotic relationship between our deliveries and the goodies at the farmers market.

We had an opportunity to visit the good people of Red Fire Farm this spring.

Spring brings the beginning of many new flavors, including fresh herbs! We're excited to begin offering fresh, locally-grown organic herbs in boxes and as add-ons from Happy Valley Organics of Whately, MA.

We're bringing in herb season with a bang. Our first herb of the season is a crowd favorite, and one of our favorite aromas - fresh basil! Not only will we have 3/4 oz containers of organic basil going out in boxes next week; we also have potted basil plants available as add-ons for $2.75.

Keeping a Basil Plant Alive:

Basil plants are fairly sensitive. Here are a few tips to keep your basil plant alive and healthy:

• Water: Keep the basil moist. Water regularly so the soil doesn't dry up, but don't let it get too soggy.

• Sunlight: Basil loves sunlight, so make sure it's kept in a place where it can get sun throughout the day. If you're keeping the plant indoors, a sunny window is best!

• Remove flower buds: Pick off any flower buds. When the plant starts flowering, all of its energy will go to the flowers, so pinch them off.

• Use frequently: Taking off big leaves makes room for little ones to grow. One trick we've heard is to leave the bottom two leaves on each stem. The good news is that it shouldn't be hard to use fresh basil on a regular basis!

• Find more basil tips here!

Basil Recipes

If you ever need recipes to help you get through the abundance of fresh basil coming your way, we have basil recipes galore! When in doubt, a big batch of pesto goes with anything and can be frozen for later use.

Click here to add a basil plant to your order!

Our Dogma Box includes produce sourced as close to Boston as possible throughout the year. Similar to a CSA, this box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms.

Last week Anthony Mirisciotta of Deep Root Organic Co-op made the trek down from Vermont to meet with us. Anthony is our point of contact for ordering produce from Deep Root, and we were happy to finally meet him in person after working with him for the past few years.

Deep Root Organic Co-Op is one of our main suppliers during the winter, providing access to quality crops from a number of small, family owned organic farms in Vermont. Founded in 1986, and they're one of the oldest co-ops of organic vegetable growers in the United States. The co-op exists to promote local, sustainable, and organic agriculture through its small, family owned farms. Member farms grow all manner of fruits and vegetables, but they’re best known for their coop namesake, root vegetables! We work with Deep Root mostly in the colder months, sourcing root crops such as potatoes, radishes, beets, rutabagas, and parsnips.

Anthony told us that they currently have 26 farm members, including farmers across Vermont and the eastern townships of Quebec. Being organized as a co-op enables members to focus on their individual farms, while negotiating with buyers and marketing their products as a group. Collectively, their produce is sold to retail establishments, restaurants, and other institutions.

With the demand for fresh, healthy produce on the rise, it’s no surprise that the co-op had their biggest year ever in 2012! We look forward to a continued partnership with Deep Root, which means more of that quality local, organic produce that our customers depend on. Thanks to Anthony and the crew for their hard work!

Last week we launched our 2013 Customer Survey so we can learn more about your Boston Organics experience and figure out ways to improve our service. We have already received a lot of insightful information and we look forward to reviewing everything! This week’s vegetable boxes will be getting a taste of spring with some Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, and bok choy! Check out this week's newsletter!

The Dogma Box includes produce sourced as close to Boston as possible. Similar to a CSA, this box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms.

Visit 12/21/12

We try to make an effort to visit our local growers and vendors at least once a year, and a few weeks ago we took a trip out to our new organic milk supplier, Shaw Farm of Dracut, Massachusetts! Located just an hour north of our Charlestown office, this family-owned dairy farm is about as local as it gets for Boston. After tasting some of their legendary eggnog and other products, we’re tempted to make our visits more frequent.

Shaw Farm operates their own farm store with fresh milk, ice cream, and even baked goods. The farm store is heated by geothermal energy – a renewable energy created by the heat found below the earth’s surface. It not only helps with their energy bill, but it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions on the farm.

1. Story and history of Shaw Farm

Since 1908 Shaw Farm has been providing high quality local dairy products to the Merrimack Valley. Located in Dracut, MA, the farm offers fresh milk, ice cream, and many other local products. Their tagline – “if they say it’s homemade, ask to see their cows” – reminds us of the true farm-to-table process and begs us to ask the question where does our food come from?

2. Why did they start the organic brand?

In 2007 Shaw Farm began to market its own “certified organic” milk products under the name New England Organic Creamery. Owner, Warren Shaw says changes in the marketplace driven by consumer demand for local organic milk have made this change important to the future of the farm. He saw that there was a demand for organic milk and realized that the transition to become certified organic was fairly simple since the farm already operated under many of the organic standards. Now they are the only certified organic milk producer in Massachusetts.

3. How are the cows fed?

Shaw Farm has 16 cows that make up the organic herd. The cows go out in the morning to graze on organic pasture and relax in the field during the day. The majority of the organic herd’s diet consists of organic grass from their pasture and is supplemented with organic grains. Three generations of Shaw’s take care of the 150 acres of nutrient rich orchard grasses that help give the cows their proper protein and fiber. Warren also explained that he has never used antibiotics, growth hormones or anything that might taint the organic milk or harm his cattle.

4. How does farm legislation affect the Shaw Farm business and operations?

The recent nine-month extension of the federal farm bill allowed Shaw Farm to avoid an immediate rise in conventional milk prices. We asked Warren how the farm bill and other dairy industry legislation might affect his business, and he explained that federal milk subsidies and regulations only impact dairy farms that belong to co-ops, not independent dairy farmers like himself.

Because of Shaw Farm’s proximity to the city and densely concentrated population, they have direct access to a large customer base and are able to provide dairy directly to customers and retailers, such as Boston Organics. Because of our collective support, Shaw Farm will be able to thrive, operate, and continue their environmental stewardship of the land that has been in the Shaw family for several generations.

We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! We've got lots of great veggies this week along with some special fruits, including persimmons and Ataulfo mangoes! It's also the last week for cranberries, and we still have some of our holiday produce and pecan add-ons for your cooking needs this holiday season. Check out the newsletter!