What is an ESA? A great way to eat local, organic produce and support Root Bottom Farm.

It's going to be a great year! Why not eat great food?

Madison County folks! There are a few spots left in our 2015 ESA. What is an ESA, you might ask? Our 'Email Supported Agriculture' concept is a response to the traditional CSA model. We offer a weekly selection of what the farm has via e-mail and then we deliver custom boxes to three locations (Marshall, Mars Hill Market & Hot Springs) Saturday mornings. 

Unlike a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), where you get a large amount of produce every week no matter what, there is no minimum order and you get to choose what you want each time, like you are shopping at a farmer's market.

This year the ESA will be offering: 

BERRIES: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries

GREENS: arugula, lettuce, kale, collards, Swiss chard, spicy mesclun mix

MICROGREENS: sweet sunflower, spicy radish and Morgan's Mix

VEGETABLES: beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beans, corn, onions, peppers, peas,  garlic, scallions, summer & winter squash

ROOT BOTTOM PRODUCTS: garlic butter, pesto, berry jams

FLOWER bouquets

We spray nothing on our crops or our farm. Everything is grown with love. 

Not a fennel fan? Don't order it. Going out of town? Don't order. Want to join? 

NOW is the time for enrollment, so if you are interested please let us know asap. 

If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them contact us at rootbottom@gmail.com by 3/15/14. 

#rootbottomfarm #ESA #supportlocal #eatyourveggies #eatwellperformwell

#organic #lovelife #eatmoreplants #livelovelocal

The facts: The ESA runs from May - October. Payment is expected weekly upon delivery (cash or check) or you can opt in for the monthly Paypal billing system. There is no minimum to order and if you are out of town, you simply don't have to order. Not a fennel fan, don't order it. We do like folks to be active, but the ESA is designed for folks who don't want a huge box every week. If, at the end of the season, you never ordered we may reassess if it is the right fit for you. 

We do a one time yearly $10 joining members fee which covers gas for the season's deliveries and more upcycled bags from thrift stores to eliminate plastic use. This is added to the first order. 

Buckets of Flowers. Flowers for years. Got all these flowers coming out of my ears.

Last year was a huge year for Root Bottom flowers. We planted 22 types/47 varieties of annuals in the cutting garden and started 38 types/50 varieties of perennial flowers for the 11 gardens we built around the farm. I also planted over 800 flower bulbs in the Fall.

2014 perennial seedlings

2015 is just as big on the flower side of things. Eight more gardens to build and plant. Did I mention I hate mowing our lawn for almost three hours a week? Last year, I cut it down to almost 2 hours a week by filling in hard to mow areas with flower gardens. I'll take their colorful displays over mowing those plots any day.

Master garden map 1:4 scale (the guesthouse, barn and art studio are much farther away, but I wanted it on one sheet). Just the random green areas (red hot pokers) came with the property.

A lot of my favorites will be planted again this year, but I am excited to introduce some new ones to the mix. I am planting 21 types/39 varieties of annuals (16 new varieties) in the cutting garden and 63 types/83 varieties of perennials (32 new varieties). 

Looking at last year's garden designs, I was predominately drawn to warmer displays of red, oranges, yellows, whites and the occasional purples.

This year, I am cooling things down and establishing two very large cottage gardens boasting whites, purples, pinks, reds, blues, greens and grays. I am also doing a true shade garden (17 varieties), a lavender garden (5 varieties), a poppy garden (5 varieties), an all yellow garden (14 varieties) and raised beds filled with sunflowers (15 varieties) along the barn.

If you know anyone getting hitched this Summer, we will be offering cut your own bridal bouquets by appointment. We will also be selling bouquets at the market and cut flowers to a few florist accounts.

I remember on our farm as a little girl there was always some kind of flower blooming. Daffodils growing along our gravel road in the Spring, followed by bright yellow forsythia bushes and fragrant roses around the property. I have always dreamed of an 'everblooming garden.' Our property was a perfect clean slate with endless possibilities of design, color and style. I feel truly lucky to be able to have the garden(s) of my dreams. 

I think I am most excited for my all poppy garden this year!
Poppies will always make me think of my Grandaddy and I look forward to his warm presence along our roadside.

It sleeps. It creeps. It leaps.

The old saying about perennial crops is that in their "first year, they sleep; second year, they creep; third year, they leap" in the first three years of being established. Just like perennials in their third growth year, the farm is about to leap. In 2015, Root Bottom Farm is trying out some new vegetables, expanding to new, larger fields, and celebrating bumper perennial crops coming into their prime.

 I found a sweet desk in someone's trash pile on the street last week.  Farm planning game changer.

Winter is halfway over and our desk is covered with graph paper, highlighters, colored pencils and spread sheets. We are expanding some of our successful vegetable crops and adding ground cherries, Brussels sprouts, leeks, and new varieties of  old favorites to the mix. We are also establishing hardy kiwis and more asparagus. This will be the first Spring that we aren't establishing multiple perennial crops on the farm. Instead we will celebrate our hard work with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, herbs, and asparagus overflowing in their harvest baskets.

Upper berry field with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
This year we have over 350 strawberry plants ready to blow up this Spring.

On the flower side of things, I am planting 21 types/39 varieties of annuals (16 new varieties) in the cutting garden and 63 types/83 varieties of perennials (32 new varieties). This year will be another large year for flowers with over 600 plants started by seed for ten new garden beds designed and built around the property. The hundreds of perennial flowers established last year will be proudly showing their colors off this season. 

Below are two new gardens. Cool vs Hot.

Cool garden near our cabin.
Viola, perrywinkle, lavender, aubrieta, veronica, forget me not, daisy, columbine, catmint, agathashe, chamomile, hyssop, pyrethrum, liatris, gaillardia, penstemon, dianthus, ageratum, nigella, gomphrena, delphinium, salvia, scabiosa, echinacea, feverfew, verbena, globe flower, bee balm, sea holly, foxglove, lisanthus, ammi, cosmos, zinnias & a planting of existing red hot pokers. This is right next to the 'cool' spiral bulb garden coming up in Spring. That giant bed is only purples, blues, whites and a few yellows.

Hot garden around the intern house.
Forget me not, echinacea, gaillardia, allysum, daisies, lavender, chamomile, coreopsis, Siberian wallflower, columbine, salvia, scabiosa, rudebekia and a few annuals planted along existing red hot pokers, lilies, mums & forsythia bushes.

It is going to be a busy and fantastic season ahead. We are stoked to have our friend, Justin, on the farm team again. He is a farm ninja and a huge asset to this crazy ride.  In May, we are having a barn work weekend to fix up our old tobacco barn. And we are very excited to announce our farm dinner series this Summer in July, August & September. Stay tuned for more details to follow.

2015. Grow. Expand. And eat great food.