We are proud to produce over 80 varieties of vegetables sustainably by using the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system. Key factors in IPM include planting on black plastic and hand weeding, composting and using natural soil amendments, utilizing beneficial insects, rotating crops, and scouting for pest and diseases.

We believe in investing our time and resources into preventative measures to protect the environment as much as possible.

Some of these practices are as follows:​

• Growing on a 3-year rotation schedule to keep soil health vibrant

• Using drip irrigation to prevent the spread of disease and avoid water waste

• Hand weeding and using plastic mulch to control weeds

• Growing on biodegradable plastic mulch

• Composting excess crops and adding compost back to raised beds

• Introducing beneficial insects to our fields and greenhouses to prey on pests

• Testing and amending soil fertility

During weekly scoutings of our fields, we collect data to monitor the health of our plants. We only use chemicals if destructive thresholds of pests and diseases are evident, and the needs vary depending on the crop and the weather conditions in a given season.

Farmer Randy works closely with consultants to devise plans for using minimal chemical inputs. His repertoire is ever growing and changing. Many of the chemicals used on the farm are certified organic options. No chemicals on the farm are "restricted use" products. Randy is also trained to follow strict schedules regarding waiting certain intervals before harvesting crops after a chemical has been applied. These schedules are determined by the EPA.

Our farm is also intermittently tested by the Department of Consumer Protection to ensure that no unapproved levels of chemical residue are evident on our produce.

All of our seed is non-GMO. Some seeds that we use are heirloom varieties. We vary the types of crops we grow based on timing and weather conditions. For example, we grow 6 different kinds of broccoli, which are suited to thrive in the spring or fall and ripen at different intervals for optimal harvest timing.

Throughout the 2016 season we collaborated with the UConn Extension Center in order to refine our IPM practices, including resistance management and pest and disease identification.

Both Randy and Victoria collaborate with other farmers in Connecticut and nationally to learn and add to their respective repertoires.

We've also taken courses in chemical application safety, worker protection standards, and federal laws regarding food safety.

While many farm stands supplement with commercially-grown produce (and may not even label it as such!), we believe in being honest about our growing practices and our products. The number one way we do this is by only selling what we grow ourselves. You will never find out-of-season, trucked-in produce in our farm store or CSA shares.