Bass Root Farm Mission - We aim to nourish our local community by producing nutrient dense food while striving to be good stewards of the land using sustainable and regenerative farming methods. We want our farm to be a site for learning, sharing, and cultivating wellness, an ideal place that provides a rich quality of life for all living things.
Notes from the Farm, Issue 23
January 2026
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Happy New Year! It has been quite a spell since we last published a newsletter. Now that we are in our “slow” season, we can reflect on the past year while planning for the next. The 2025 growing season was our best yet! Thanks to the support of our 30+ CSA members and online customers, we were able to offer a wide variety of nutrient-dense produce. Each week’s shares offered a rotating menu of veggies from salad greens and lettuces to various brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale), tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, celery, cucumbers, carrots, beets, and so much more. We even grew artichokes for the first time! As we enter our 6th year, we are gaining confidence in our production practices and eager to try new vegetables.
Cover Crops and the Regenerative Farm. One of our goals last year was a greater use of cover crops. For those unfamiliar with this term, a cover crop is any type of seeded crop that is not harvested for sale but used to nourish the soil and provide it cover/protection from erosion. Current thinking in regenerative agriculture suggests that keeping living roots in the ground and therefore plants photosynthesizing promotes on-going biological activity and addition of nutrients to the soil. When it comes time to plant the next cash crop (vegetable crop to be sold), the soil is charged and immediately ready to support new life. Conversely, soil that has been bare has less biological life and requires more time to energize to support the cash crop.
On our farm, we have been planting peas, oats, winter rye, and hairy vetch in various rotations starting in the early fall. This practice is mainly done following a cash crop and before winter. The peas and oats will nourish the soil until a hard freeze, then winter kill and act as a mulch. The winter rye and vetch slow their growth in winter and then pick back up in the spring. In early June, we crimp (roll over) the rye/vetch and tarp it for a few weeks to terminate it. After that, it becomes a mulch that we can plant into with our transplants. Not only has the crop nourished the soil, it crowds out weeds and inhibits their growth.
Like many gardeners and farmers, we have had to contend with our share of weeds. This year, we hope to minimize weed pressure by using woven landscape fabric and under sowing a cover crop. We have used fabric the past few years, but I believe the use of cover crops will give us the added benefit of nourishing the soil and bringing in pollinators. Time will tell how this works!
2026 CSA and New Offerings. If you are not a current CSA member, have you considered being a part of the local food movement? Are you looking for local produce, eggs, whole chickens, sourdough bread, and flower bouquets this year? Become a Bass Root Farm CSA member and you have access to all of these. Large and small share sizes available for the full season (5 months) or partial season (3.5 months). In addition to produce, members can sign up for a weekly egg share and purchase naturally-grown, pasture-raised whole chickens.
Produce Shares
Full Season (June – October)
·Symphony (large) - $990
·Jazztet (small) - $750
Summer Season (mid-June – mid-September)
·Bandstand (large) - $650
·Summer Jazz (small) - $490
Add-ons to your produce share:
·Cage-free eggs - $175/full season or $110/summer season
·Pasture-raised chicken – priced per pound/TBD
·Full Season 2 sourdough loaves biweekly (11 weeks of bread) - $220*
·Full Season 1 sourdough loaf biweekly (11 weeks of bread) - $110*
·Summer Season 2 sourdough loaves biweekly (7 weeks of bread) - $140*
·Summer Season 1 sourdough loaf a week (7 weeks of bread) - $70*
*These items are made and grown by registered dietician and collaborator Savannah Weirenga of the Dietitian's Farm and Bakehouse.
For more details about how our CSA works, please read our membership guide on our CSA page. Sign up online at the bottom of the page. Please contact us with any questions you have!
Microgreens. This winter, we have started experimenting with growing microgreens. If you haven't tried them before, you should! They are packed full of nutrients, taste amazing, and can be added to almost anything. Please check out our store in the future to purchase them.
Online Store. Did you know that you can purchase produce and eggs from us year-round? Place an order through our online store and pick it up at the farm. You may pay online or with cash upon pickup.
Help Wanted. We are looking for a few people to join our team for the 2026 season! If you or someone you know are looking for an opportunity working on a small farm, get in contact with us! You can learn more about employment at Bass Root Farm by clicking the link below.
Plant Sale 2026. Calling are home gardeners and vegetable plant enthusiasts! Consider purchasing all your plants from us! We start all crops from organic/non-GMO seed and use organic soil. Previous customers have shared that our plants outgrew many of the plants they purchased elsewhere! Our 2026 Plant Sale Order Form will be live on our website in February. We will start your plants and have them ready for pick up in mid-May. It’s never too early to start planning your 2026 garden!
Keep in Touch! Thanks for reading this newsletter. If you would like to keep up with us on a more frequent basis, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@bassrootfarm).
