Moonrose Farm

At our farm, we believe in transparency with our customers when it comes to our produce. We follow organic and regenerative practices to ensure that our products are not only good for you but also sustainable and harmonious with the land that we farm. We are committed to growing the highest quality of produce, maintaining a strong connection with our customers, and being responsible stewards of our land. A buckwheat cover crop is an important nectar source for honeybees and attracts many beneficial insects. Our farm uses no-till, regenerative soil practices. What does that mean? Most farms begin their spring planting by plowing, harrowing, rototilling, or otherwise disturbing the natural structure of the soil. This disrupts the water capillaries naturally present in the soil (leading to drainage issues or dry soil) and releases some carbon into the atmosphere. Following an annual soil tillage practice also increases the consumption of fossil fuels by fuel-inefficient tractors Weuse an attachment on our tractor to form permanent raised beds which improves drainage and increases soil temperature The soil of our raised beds is not disturbed again by tillage (plowing, harrowing etc.) and is only turned when carrots or other deep root crops are harvested. The microbes that are beneficial to growing great vegetables prefer an anaerobic environment- less air is added to the soil when you use no tillage practices (and less carbon is released) We use several species of cover crops at different times of the year. Cover crops have several benefits- to help hold the soil in place to protect against erosion, to feed the soil microbes, to grow our own organic matter, and even to attract beneficial insects! No-till farming helps to cultivate soil biodiversity and support the natural nutrient cycles Our philosophy has always been to invest in our soil now with the intention that the soil will give back to us in the years to come. The process of no-till farming takes many years until the soil is mature enough to see benefits, is expensive and labor intensive. No-till beds are the perfect environment for beneficial soil microbes and mycelium, both of which help our plant roots access mineral and nutrition sources in the soil. We add compost made from leaf + yard debris at a RI municipal waste facility to every bed 1-2 times a year, this adds crucial organic matter to our naturally sandy soils and feeds our plants We use dried organic fish meal as a fertilizer on certain crops that are heavy feeders, this is consumed by the soil microbes and made into an available for for the plants to use We add a custom blend of powdered minerals based on annual soil testing that provides optimal nutrition for our plants Compost is spread on each bed 1-2 times a year Blooming flowers and native plants provide crucial habitat for pollinators and insects The healthier the plant, the lesssusceptibleit is to pests. We focus on only planting the healthiest most vigorous of the transplants and ideally our soil health will only get better over time. By prioritizing healthy plants, attracting beneficial insects, and using physical barriers, we will reduce our reliance on applied pesticides over time We use exclusion of pests as a first line of defense- covering certain crops with an agricultural fabric called remay or row cover to make it harder for the bugs to access the plants For certain crops that are too big to cover or are extra attractive to pests, we use a targeted approach by spraying organic pesticides The pesticides we use areOMRIlisted, certified organic, and derived from plants or bacteria We choose the types of sprays we use very carefully with consideration to the composition, environmental and human health impacts, and potential harm to beneficial insects. The sprays we use are targeted to specific pests, for example a type of bacteria we spray on broccoli and cabbage plants is only harmful when ingested by the caterpillars that do d