Farmer Feature: Gold Roots Farm

A very warm welcome to Gold Roots Farm!

Inspired by a love of organic farming that sprouted in Italy and grew in Hawaii, owners Aimee and Kevin founded their very own farm just outside of Corning in the year 2020. In two short years, the pair turned the 2.5-acre former goat farm and a .25-acre garden into a veritable mini-Eden.

Current offerings from their farm include salad mix, arugula, cherry tomatoes, shishito, Padron and picnic peppers, mixed hot peppers, tomatillos, green beans, eggplant, basil, and more! Offerings change with the seasons, so as autumn inches closer, keep an eye out for snap peas, radishes, carrots, and more leafy greens.

Already sold? I haven’t even told you about their specialty yet! MICROGREENS. They offer six varieties of microgreens year-round, with another 7 in rotation based on the season. That’s TWELVE types of microgreens! Oh, and did I mention they cut them fresh to order?

For those who are unfamiliar, microgreens are vegetable greens that have been harvested just after their sprouts develop their first couple of leaves, called “cotyledon”. These tiny but mighty greens pack a major nutritional punch, having up to 40x more nutrients in them than their full-grown counterparts. They have exploded in popularity over the last couple of decades, and are most commonly used to add a pop of flavor to other foods. Try them in your next salad or sprinkled on top of avocado toast!

Now that I’ve got you super jazzed on vegetables, let me seal the deal for you. Though this farm doesn’t have an Organic certification yet (those things are really expensive), they still follow all organic protocols. This means if you buy produce from Gold Roots, you can be sure that there were no pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful chemicals used.

Something else the Gold Roots farmers really pride themselves on is their focus on soil health. Through high-intensity gardening practices like low-tilling and composting, they’ve been able to increase the fertility of their soil from 0 to 6% since they started two years ago. This allows them to produce food that is not only highly nutritious but also super sustainable for the planet.  ❤️ 🌎

Give them a visit next time you’re at the market!